A 19-year-old with Asperger’s syndrome has been placed under house arrest and fined over £500 after asking a transgender police officer if they were a boy or girl.
Police support officer, Connor Freel, said she was left feeling “upset and embarrassed” when Declan Armstrong asked in a loud voice, “Is it a boy or is it a girl?”
The incident, which occurred in October last year, in Mold, North Wales, was said to have left the 25-year-old transgender officer reluctant to undertake foot patrols alone.
Although Armstrong denied making the comments, he was convicted of an offence under the Public Order Act 1986 by “using abusive or insulting words with intent to cause harm”.
District Judge Roger Lowe said Armstrong’s sentencing was uplifted from a low level to medium level community order because of its transphobic nature.
Armstrong was placed under a nighttime curfew for 12-weeks and ordered to pay £590, including £200 to the offended officer as compensation.
