Transgender Tory MP Jamie Wallis 'was wearing high-heels and black leather PVC mini-skirt when he crashed his Mercedes into lampost after swerving to avoid a cat - before he fled in fear he would be "raped, killed or kidnapped"'
- The MP's Mercedes hit a lamppost in South Wales on November 28 last year
- Wallis was arrested the day after the crash on suspicion of 'driving whilst unfit'
- Witnesses said he was wearing a leather mini-skirt and high heels at the time
- He claims he swerved to avoid a cat moments before he crashed, court heard
- Wallis says he fled the scene as he had a 'PTSD attack' and felt 'vulnerable'
- He was elected to the Tory seat in Bridgend, Wales, in the 2019 election
Published: 10:12, 11 July 2022 | Updated: 13:18, 11 July 2022
Transgender Conservative MP Jamie Wallis was allegedly wearing high heels and a black leather PVC mini-skirt when he swerved to avoid a cat and caused a late-night car crash, a trial heard today.
Mr Wallis, who has represented Bridgend since 2019, is facing traffic offences after his Mercedes allegedly hit a lamppost and telegraph pole on Church Road in Llanblethian, South Wales, on November 28.
The politician, 38, was wearing a black leather mini-skirt, high heels and a pearl necklace at the time of the collision, Cardiff Magistrates' Court heard.
Local residents were startled after hearing the crash - which they say was louder than a firework - before they went outside and found Mr Wallis dressed in women's clothing.
The MP - who came out as transgender in March - was wearing makeup and red lipstick when he was arrested, according to the duty police officer.
Wallis claims he left the scene of the crash out of fear he would be 'raped, killed or kidnapped' due to post-traumatic stress disorder which he developed after being raped in September.
He was arrested the morning after the crash on suspicion of 'driving whilst unfit'.
In May, he pleaded not guilty to four offences - including failing to stop, failing to report a road traffic collision, driving without due care and attention and leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position.
The trial for Conservative MP Jamie Wallis, who is charged with failing to stop after being involved in a car crash last year, started today at Cardiff Magistrates Court, Wales. The transgender MP is pictured this morning
MP Wallis makes his way to court this morning after pleading guilty to the offences in May. Court heard that he was wearing a mini-skirt and high heels at the time of the collision last November
He was arrested on suspicion of 'driving whilst unfit' following the late-night collision when a car hit a lamppost in Llanblethian on November 28
The MP, from Cowbridge, now claims that the crash happened after he tried to swerve away from a cat that had run on to the street in front of his Mercedes.
Mr Wallis said: 'A cat ran out from left to right in front of me. I just instinctively swerved. I didn't think about it. I just swerved to avoid the cat. That's when the collision happened.
'It was the worst accident that I have been involved in. It was quite powerful.'
Wallis, who became the first Tory to win the Bridgend seat of Bridgend since the 1980s when he was elected in 2019, said that he had 'considerable pain' in his head and neck after the crash.
Carina Hughes, prosecuting, said residents Adrian Watson and Natalie Webb were having a gathering when just after 1am they heard a 'very loud bang, significantly louder than a domestic firework'.
Mr Webb said he went outside and saw amber flashing lights and that a Mercedes E-Class saloon had crashed into the lamppost.
Mr Watson said he looked inside the car and saw 'a white male wearing a white long-sleeve top which was tight to the body, a black leather PVC mini-skirt, tights, dark shoes with a high heel and a pearl necklace'.
Mr Wallis (left) and Boris Johnson - who resigned as Prime Minister last week - pictured shaking hands
Ms Webb in her statement described the male as wearing 'black court shoes'.
When he asked Wallis if he was okay, Mr Watson said the male said: 'I'm sorting it. I'm sorting it.'
Mr Watson said he was going to call the police and that Wallis began walking away from the scene. He followed him and witnessed him make two phone calls, and during one he claimed he was being 'accosted'.
He was then picked up by his father in a Land Rover Discovery.
Police Sergeant Gareth Handy said that when he attended Wallis' family home address, which he described as a 'mansion' and 'absolutely colossal', he forced entry into the property out of concern for the MP.
Mr Handy said Wallis was eventually found in one of the rooms of the house and when he got to the room he said: 'I saw Jamie had make-up on his face.'
When police searched his flat at the property, they found a 'blonde wig' on a table, the court heard.
Pc Louis Hall found Wallis in a bedroom within the house asleep and said: 'He appeared to be wearing make-up. His eyelids were dark, his lips were red and his cheeks were bronzed, and he had red nail polish on his toes.'
The black leather skirt and pearl necklace were found next to the bed and were seized by police.
He was arrested at 7.21am.
Asked to describe the incident in September 2021, Wallis said: 'In September, I was raped.' He confirmed to court that the attack was penetrative.
Wallis continued: 'It was profoundly distressing and traumatised. I became obsessed with what happened, I kept thinking about it, having nightmares and flashbacks.
'I would wake up in the middle of the night believing he was in my flat. I was hyper-anxious, and hyper-alert.'
He claims he left the scene of the crash because he had a 'PTSD attack' and felt 'vulnerable' and 'as if I was going to be attacked again'.
In a prepared statement to police, the MP said he was in 'pain and shock' after the collision.
'I noticed a group of people approaching and felt anxious. Due to my medical condition and time of the day and the weather conditions I felt I needed to get away. When I got home I took my medication and felt drowsy.
'I have been recently diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.'
The court heard Wallis 'fully intended' to report the incident to police as soon as he was able.
Miss Hughes said phone records showed he sent text messages and made phonecalls between 1.32am and 1.42am.
But Wallis claimed he was incapable of ringing 999 due to his 'state of shock.'
Miss Hughes said after returning home Wallis was able to lock the door, undress, find medication and move from his flat to the main house to find a bedroom.
She said: 'All that with your mobile phone in your possession.
'There was no reason why you couldn't send a message or phone the police or ask somebody else to phone police.'
While being cross-examined, Wallis said he had been driving 'relatively slow' when he saw the cat because he was approaching a double bend.
Ms Hughes said: 'You hit it with such force that the pole snapped. The reason you hit the pole isn't because there was a cat, you were driving without due care and attention and resulted in you losing control and driving into that wall and telegraph pole.'
Wallis became the first MP in the UK to come out as transgender in March this year.
His statement revealed he had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria having 'felt this way since I was a very young child' and that he wants to transition to be a woman.
He also said he had been raped and blackmailed, and was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
The message was posted online shortly before 3am on March 30, after a gathering for Tory MPs at which Mr Johnson reportedly made a joke about trans issues.
In the statement at the time, posted on Twitter, he explained crashing his Mercedes and fleeing the scene was as a result of suffering an incident weeks earlier following a date with a man he met online.
He said he 'wants to be' trans and is 'not ok' after someone tried to extort cash from him in return for silence about his secret.
His blackmailer was jailed for two years and nine months in 2021, he added.
In the statement, Mr Wallis said: 'I'm trans. Or to be more accurate, I want to be. I've been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and I've felt this way since I was a very young child.
'I had no intention of ever sharing this with you. I always imagined I would leave politics well before I ever said this out loud.
'I was reminded of the incredible support those you work with can provide. Also, I was reminded how important it is to be yourself. I have never lived my truth and I'm not sure how. Perhaps it starts with telling everyone.
'There was a close call in April 2020 when someone blackmailed me, outed me to my father and sent photographs to other family members. He wanted £50,000 to keep it quiet.'
Following the post, the now outgoing Prime Minister praised him for his bravery, and politicians from across the political spectrum publicly expressed their support for the MP.
Wallis studied chemistry at Oxford University and was a director of a data recovery firm before entering politics and winning his seat in December 2019, managing to oust Labour's Madeleine Moon, who had held the constituency for 14 years.
In February this year, Wallis was also fined £270 and received three points on his licence at Cardiff Magistrates' Court after admitting the offence of crossing a solid white line while driving a Mercedes on the A48 in August 2021.
In February this year, Wallis was also fined £270 and received three points on his licence at Cardiff Magistrates' Court