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| Woman guilty of tricking blindfolded friend into having sex by pretending to be a man | Woman guilty of tricking blindfolded friend into having sex by pretending to be a man |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A woman has been convicted of impersonating a man over two years to dupe her blindfolded friend into having sex. | A woman has been convicted of impersonating a man over two years to dupe her blindfolded friend into having sex. |
| Gayle Newland, 25, disguised her appearance and voice as she demanded the other woman put on a blindfold when meeting up. | Gayle Newland, 25, disguised her appearance and voice as she demanded the other woman put on a blindfold when meeting up. |
| The pair had sex about 10 times until the complainant ripped off her mask and in disbelief saw Newland wearing a prosthetic penis. | The pair had sex about 10 times until the complainant ripped off her mask and in disbelief saw Newland wearing a prosthetic penis. |
| Newland claimed her accuser, also aged 25, always knew she was pretending to be a man as they engaged in role play while struggling with their sexuality, Chester Crown Court heard. | Newland claimed her accuser, also aged 25, always knew she was pretending to be a man as they engaged in role play while struggling with their sexuality, Chester Crown Court heard. |
| She said no blindfold was used and she did not strap bandages to her chest and wear a woollen hat and swimsuit. | She said no blindfold was used and she did not strap bandages to her chest and wear a woollen hat and swimsuit. |
| The jury of eight women and four men convicted the defendant, from Willaston, Cheshire, of three counts of sexual assault. | The jury of eight women and four men convicted the defendant, from Willaston, Cheshire, of three counts of sexual assault. |
| She was cleared of two other counts of sexual assault. | She was cleared of two other counts of sexual assault. |
| The jurors reached majority verdicts on which 10 of them agreed on each of the three guilty counts after six hours and 11 minutes of deliberation. | The jurors reached majority verdicts on which 10 of them agreed on each of the three guilty counts after six hours and 11 minutes of deliberation. |
| Newland was found guilty of committing sexual assaults at the complainant's flat but was cleared of similar offences said to have taken place at hotels in Chester. | Newland was found guilty of committing sexual assaults at the complainant's flat but was cleared of similar offences said to have taken place at hotels in Chester. |
| The defendant sat in stunned silence in the dock when the foreman returned the verdicts. | The defendant sat in stunned silence in the dock when the foreman returned the verdicts. |
| Adjourning the case for pre-sentence reports, Judge Roger Dutton told the court that Newland had "serious issues surrounding her personality". | Adjourning the case for pre-sentence reports, Judge Roger Dutton told the court that Newland had "serious issues surrounding her personality". |
| Addressing Newland, he said: "You have been convicted of serious charges. You must understand the consequences may be serious." | Addressing Newland, he said: "You have been convicted of serious charges. You must understand the consequences may be serious." |
| Newland shouted in response: "How can you send me down for something I have not done?" | Newland shouted in response: "How can you send me down for something I have not done?" |
| She tearfully repeatedly asked the question and then said: "I don't understand, I don't understand." | She tearfully repeatedly asked the question and then said: "I don't understand, I don't understand." |
| The judge thanked the jurors for their "careful consideration" of the case and said it would present a "difficult sentencing exercise". | The judge thanked the jurors for their "careful consideration" of the case and said it would present a "difficult sentencing exercise". |
| He went on: "Sentencing guidelines are quite clear that imprisonment is inevitable but I need a good deal of further examination before I take that further step." | He went on: "Sentencing guidelines are quite clear that imprisonment is inevitable but I need a good deal of further examination before I take that further step." |
| Newland was bailed until sentencing on a date to be fixed in November. | Newland was bailed until sentencing on a date to be fixed in November. |
| She was told she must reside at an address provided to the court, not to contact the complainant and not to contact anyone under an assumed identity. | She was told she must reside at an address provided to the court, not to contact the complainant and not to contact anyone under an assumed identity. |
| The judge said Newland would be seen by the Probation Service and a psychiatrist as part of the pre-sentence report. | The judge said Newland would be seen by the Probation Service and a psychiatrist as part of the pre-sentence report. |
| Newland admitted creating a bogus Facebook profile in the name of Kye Fortune but said her friend played along with her online persona. | Newland admitted creating a bogus Facebook profile in the name of Kye Fortune but said her friend played along with her online persona. |
| The defendant spent "hundreds" of hours talking on the telephone to her friend as Kye and more than 100 hours in each other's company in hotels and the complainant's flat. | The defendant spent "hundreds" of hours talking on the telephone to her friend as Kye and more than 100 hours in each other's company in hotels and the complainant's flat. |
| These encounters, according to the complainant, included her wearing a blindfold watching television and even sunbathing together, the trial heard. | These encounters, according to the complainant, included her wearing a blindfold watching television and even sunbathing together, the trial heard. |
| The prosecution said it was an "unusual" case set against an "extraordinary background" in which the defendant targeted the "naive and vulnerable" complainant. | The prosecution said it was an "unusual" case set against an "extraordinary background" in which the defendant targeted the "naive and vulnerable" complainant. |
| But Newland's legal team said the complainant's account was simply "impossible to believe". | But Newland's legal team said the complainant's account was simply "impossible to believe". |
| Newland created the character of Fortune when she was 13 because she found it difficult to speak to girls in real life. | Newland created the character of Fortune when she was 13 because she found it difficult to speak to girls in real life. |
| By the age of 15 or 16, she went on to develop a Facebook profile of "half-Filipino, half-Latino" Fortune by downloading photographs from an American man's Myspace page. | By the age of 15 or 16, she went on to develop a Facebook profile of "half-Filipino, half-Latino" Fortune by downloading photographs from an American man's Myspace page. |
| Fortune sent a Facebook friend request to the complainant in 2011 and the pair went on to communicate frequently on the telephone. | Fortune sent a Facebook friend request to the complainant in 2011 and the pair went on to communicate frequently on the telephone. |
| The complainant was told by Kye that he had been involved in a car accident and doctors subsequently detected a brain tumour. | The complainant was told by Kye that he had been involved in a car accident and doctors subsequently detected a brain tumour. |
| He said he was having treatment in hospital and was not well enough to see her in person. | He said he was having treatment in hospital and was not well enough to see her in person. |
| Fortune later "introduced" the complainant to his "best friend", Newland, who met up in person and became close friends themselves. | Fortune later "introduced" the complainant to his "best friend", Newland, who met up in person and became close friends themselves. |
| Fortune and Newland shared the same birth date, both liked RnB music and "chick flicks" and had a dog named Gypsy, the jury heard. | Fortune and Newland shared the same birth date, both liked RnB music and "chick flicks" and had a dog named Gypsy, the jury heard. |
| The pair finally met in February 2013 two months after Fortune had sent her an eternity ring in the post. | The pair finally met in February 2013 two months after Fortune had sent her an eternity ring in the post. |
| The complainant told the court: "Every time I met up with Kye Fortune I either had the mask on already or he would wait outside the door and I would put it on. | The complainant told the court: "Every time I met up with Kye Fortune I either had the mask on already or he would wait outside the door and I would put it on. |
| "I was so desperate to be loved. It's pathetic, so desperate for love, so desperate. | "I was so desperate to be loved. It's pathetic, so desperate for love, so desperate. |
| "We were just lying there, just cuddling, sometimes we would watch films, sometimes we would just talk. It sounds stupid to say but it was a proper relationship, just normal." | "We were just lying there, just cuddling, sometimes we would watch films, sometimes we would just talk. It sounds stupid to say but it was a proper relationship, just normal." |
| She went on: "Since the first time I wrote to this person on Facebook, I thought it was a male. | She went on: "Since the first time I wrote to this person on Facebook, I thought it was a male. |
| "The first time I agreed to meet this person and agreed to have sex with them, I thought it was a male. | "The first time I agreed to meet this person and agreed to have sex with them, I thought it was a male. |
| "I told my my friends I was engaged to a guy. I told my work colleagues." | "I told my my friends I was engaged to a guy. I told my work colleagues." |
| She said she was not attracted to women and said, although it sounded "sick", she would have preferred to be have been raped by a man because she could not rationalise it. | She said she was not attracted to women and said, although it sounded "sick", she would have preferred to be have been raped by a man because she could not rationalise it. |
| The jury heard that another woman said she had been duped by Newland into believing she was communicating with a man. | The jury heard that another woman said she had been duped by Newland into believing she was communicating with a man. |
| She said she added the "good looking" Fortune as a Facebook friend and an online relationship developed. | She said she added the "good looking" Fortune as a Facebook friend and an online relationship developed. |
| They went on to communicate by phone and she noticed that his voice was "quite high pitched". | They went on to communicate by phone and she noticed that his voice was "quite high pitched". |
| The pair started off as friends but became closer and in time Kye referred to her as his girlfriend, the court heard. | The pair started off as friends but became closer and in time Kye referred to her as his girlfriend, the court heard. |
| She suggested to him that that they meet up but said he always came up with an excuse not to. | She suggested to him that that they meet up but said he always came up with an excuse not to. |
| She used Facetime on her phone to speak to him in person but he would never show his face, she said. | She used Facetime on her phone to speak to him in person but he would never show his face, she said. |
| Another Facetime conversation involved Kye said to be walking his dog, Gypsy. | Another Facetime conversation involved Kye said to be walking his dog, Gypsy. |
| The court heard that she discovered she had been in contact with Newland and not Fortune when she spotted the same dog by chance on the defendant 's Facebook page. | The court heard that she discovered she had been in contact with Newland and not Fortune when she spotted the same dog by chance on the defendant 's Facebook page. |
| She phoned Fortune's number, asked for Gayle and immediately recognised from her voice that Fortune and Gayle were one and the same. | She phoned Fortune's number, asked for Gayle and immediately recognised from her voice that Fortune and Gayle were one and the same. |
| The woman stated: "I knew that Gayle Newland had pretended to be Kye Fortune. | The woman stated: "I knew that Gayle Newland had pretended to be Kye Fortune. |
| "I hung up immediately. I felt stupid." | "I hung up immediately. I felt stupid." |
| Press Association | Press Association |