Former Tory MP pleads guilty to harassing ex-wife

A FORMER Conservative MP has pleaded guilty to harassing her ex-wife.

- CONOR GOGARTY

Katie Wallis, formerly known as Jamie Wallis, admitted the “harassment without violence” of Rebecca Lovell between February and March this year, having left her a number of unwanted messages and a voice note, and is due to be sentenced next month.

The 41-year-old politician, who was MP for Bridgend between 2019 and 2024, was due to stand trial at Cardiff Magistrates' Court yesterday, but her barrister, Narita Bahra KC, agreed a last-minute deal with the prosecution for a guilty plea.

The plea was made on the basis that Wallis accepts sending four unwanted phone messages and one voice note, but not driving past the victim's home.

Ms Bahra said her client - who became the UK’s first transgender MP when she came out in 2022 - uses she/her pronouns, although the barrister referred to the politician as “he” at some points of the case.

She started the hearing by applying for an adjournment for a psychiatric report to show that Wallis had been experiencing a “psychotic breakdown” during her police interview.

“For the period of incarceration, he was doing bizarre things,” said Ms Bahra. “The officers are trying engage with him but for the whole period he is obsessed with crisps. The second part of the interview takes part in the cell. He is covering his body with a blanket and there is a bunch of rubbish in front of him. He doesn't engage.”

But District Judge Rhys Williams pointed out he had already adjourned the case once and was not minded to do so again based on “what may or may not be able to be obtained at a later date”.