MENTAL health experts have blasted the eight-year jail term imposed on a lesbian who pretended to be a man to trick her female pal into having sex with her.
The charity Sane said troubled Gayle Newland, 25, should not have been locked up and needed psychiatric care.
The Sun understands her legal team are considering an appeal against the conviction and sentence.
A jury convicted Newland of three sex assaults after hearing she used a fake penis on the other woman and made her wear a blindfold.
Her victim, who said they had sex around ten times, finally discovered the truth when she pulled off her face mask during sex.
She said: “Gayle was standing there with a prosthetic penis. I just couldn’t believe it.”
Newland, who sobbed and screamed as she was taken to the cells on Thursday, insisted her “girlfriend” knew her identity and the pair acted out in the role play while they struggled with their sexuality.
Her defence told Chester crown court she had been diagnosed with five psychological problems, including social anxiety disorder.
During sentencing, Judge Roger Dutton told the marketing manager she was “manipulative, deceitful and scheming”.
But it has emerged that he handed out less stiff penalties to offenders guilty of more serious crimes — including six years, nine months last year for a former teacher who abused 24 boys.
He locked up another paedophile who had sex with four 13-year-old girls FOR just over four years.
Boss of Sane, Marjorie Wallace, said last night the judge should have spared Newland any jail time.
She said: “A person who is clearly as distressed and disturbed as Gayle Newland should never be locked up in prison, but placed under psychiatric care with intensive treatment.”
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights campaigner Professor Alex Sharpe called the sentence “shocking” and said in two recent “gender fraud” cases the sentences were two years, and 30 months.
A family friend of Newland, from Willaston, Cheshire, said: “Lots of people have done worse than her and escaped with less punishment.”
What she got
8 Years
What others get
Domestic violence: 12 months
Death by dangerous driving: 5 years
Armed robbery: 10 years
Kidnapping: 5 years
Manslaughter: 4 years
Paedophilia: 7 years
Damage will be long-term
MANY find it unbelievable a woman could not tell the difference between a prosthetic penis and a real one.
But it does happen, as we see here.
However, what’s crucial is the emotional side.
When, as in this case, a victim’s trust is so terribly violated it can take a long time to repair the damage.