Transgender double rapist Isla Bryson was served with divorce papers by her estranged wife while in jail. Shonna Graham, who is now engaged to a new partner, sent the paperwork to HMP Edinburgh. Ms Graham said: “I wasn’t able to divorce him before now as I didn’t know where he was”.
Speaking to the Daily Record, she added: “I’ve sent papers to Edinburgh HMP and I don’t have to see him. I haven’t heard back yet.”
The woman, from Falkirk, tried to find her husband for seven years before discovering Bryson had been charged with rape and was living as a woman.
Bryson abandoned Ms Graham only five weeks into their marriage.
Ms Graham met Bryson through online dating in 2015. In July of the following year, the pair tied the knot at Falkirk Registration Office – but their life together lasted only for a few weeks.
Ms Graham continued: “I don’t want to be reminded. I don’t need someone like him keeping me down. I’ve moved on”
During their time together, Ms Graham claimed to have endured abusive and controlling behaviour at the hands of Bryson.
She also alleged Bryson had tried to rape her and stabbed her in the hip with a knife while they were together.
Bryson was found guilty in January of the rape of one woman in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, in 2016, and of another in Drumchapel, Glasgow, in 2019. Both crimes were committed while Bryson was a man.
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The attacker met both victims online, with prosecutors saying she “preyed” on vulnerable women.
Bryson vehemently denied the charges and claimed both victims consented to have sex, also telling the court she “would never hurt another human being”.
Judge Lord Scott said Bryson is to be considered “vulnerable in some ways” due to adverse childhood experiences, but added: “Your vulnerability is no excuse at all for what you did to those two women in 2016 and 2019.”
During sentencing, the judge stated: “You see yourself as the victim in this case. You are not.”
Bryson, who after the jail time will also serve three years on licence and will be placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely, changed gender while waiting to stand trial.
While Bryson first appeared in court as a male, for trial she appeared with her new identity, wearing a wig covering a facial tattoo and pink leggings.
Bryson was initially remanded to an all-female prison, but was moved to a men’s jail days later following heavy backlash from the public and politicians.
The row exploded just weeks after the Scottish Parliament had passed the Gender Recognition Reform Bill – later blocked by Scottish Secretary Alister Jack through a rare Section 35 order.
