Transgender Woman Pushes Cop onto Tracks at Hanger Lane
Judge suggests suspended sentence despite 'appalling' record of convictions
Paris Valeta Bregazzi
A transgender woman has been bailed after being found guilty of pushing an off-duty police officer onto the tracks at Hanger Lane Station in Ealing.
30-year-old Paris Valeta Bregazzi from Islington has over 40 convictions for assault, shoplifting designer frocks and attacks on station staff and commuters which were described by the judge at the Old Bailey as an 'appalling' record. She pushed PC Sam Chegwin onto the line after he intervened when he heard her berating bystanders and asked her to calm down at 5.15am on 17 July.
PC Chegwin was not seriously injured but his head landed very near the live rail although the line was not powered at that point. He climbed back on to the platform and arrested the woman who told officers she had downed four bottles of prosecco and taken drugs during a wild night out.
Ms Bregazzi has been disowned by her parents after coming out as transgender, the Old Bailey was told. She was released after Judge Jeremy Dein QC said he was uncomfortable immediately jailing her and that she may be more suited to a suspended sentence.
He added, 'It’s open to question in my view whether you intended to endanger him at all, but you have pleaded guilty.'
Prosecutor Geoffrey Porter said. 'Ms Bregazzi came into the station with a friend.
'Also on the station were other passengers. It was early in the morning and they were awaiting the first train to pass through Hangers Lane that morning.
'Among the passengers was Mr Chegwin. Mr Chegwin is a police officer but was off duty and wearing civilian clothes.
'He was sat listening to music through his headphones and he could still hear an argument which seemed to be between Ms Bregazzi and her friend.
'The officer then noticed that Ms Bregazzi's behaviour became abusive and aggressive towards other passengers.
'At this point he decided that he had to become involved. He asked her to calm down and she was abusive to him.'
CCTV footage shows the moment Mr Chegwin stood up to talk to Bregazzi and pushed her away after she became abusive.
Mr Porter continued, 'The officer said that he pushed her because he was concerned to make a "safe space", as he puts it, between himself and Ms Bregazzi.
'At that point she then proceeded to push him hard across the platform and he went onto the lines. He landed on the rails.
'His head came within inches of coming into contact with the live line, though my understanding is that the line at the time wasn't live.
'It wouldn't have been until the train came.'Ms Bregazzi, who recently had breast implants and cosmetic surgery worth £10,000, had been detained in a male prison before pleading guilty to an unlawful act on a railway with intent to endanger a person.
Defence barrister Mustapha Hakme said Ms Bregazzi is one surgery away from fully transitioning to a woman.
'There is no doubt that her mental health issues have been exacerbated by her being transgender and the transition she has made so far,' he said.
The court heard she has struggled to deal with her parents disowning her.
'This is a defendant who is desperate to complete her gender reassignment and just effectively get on with the rest of her life,' said Mr Hakme.
'While she’s in that transition period there can be no doubt that it’s taking its toll emotionally as well.'
Ms Bregazzi must attend probation appointments, drug misuse appointments, engage with her GP and medical services and live and sleep at her flat while she is on bail. Shei will be sentenced in February.
November 28, 2017