Transsexual escapes jail sentence for spying campaign
A transsexual woman who was convicted of waging a creepy five-year spying campaign against her neighbour has escaped jail - after a judge decided that it would be too dangerous for her.
Published: 8:54AM BST 04 Aug 2010
Jan Krause Photo: CAVENDISH
Jan Krause, 46, who was born male, became "obsessed" with innocent nurse Carol Story, 53, and her three children, and declared she was on a "war footing" following an argument over a noisy central heating system.
Krause made the family's lives a misery as she recorded their comings and goings between 2004 and 2009, taking pictures and keeping a diary, containing over 600 entries detailing their movements.
<!-- BEFORE ACI --> Details of Krause's diary included times when the Story family opened and closed their curtains, with observations in the journal reading: ''Ms Story must be in the shower now'', "Ms Story just left the property in her BMW'' and ''number 11 is empty of people.''
She deliberately smashed into a family member's car and would often stand outside their luxury £500,000 home in the leafy village of Hartford, near Northwich Cheshire - on one occasion whilst wearing a balaclava, dressed in all in black.
On another occasion she called armed police who raided Miss Story's house at 3am when her twin sons held a James Bond fancy dress themed party for their 18th birthday and they were seen with toy Walther PPK pistols. And she also erected a roof-mounted device which emitted a high-pitched whine in the direction of Miss Story's home for nearly a year before authorities ordered her to take it down.
Krause of Walnut Lane, Hartford - who refuses to accept that she has done anything wrong - was found guilty of harassment in June and had arrived at Chester Magistrates Court last week with two rucksacks, a pillow and a bed-roll, suggesting she expected to be sent to prison.
Her twelve-week jail term was suspended by Judge Nicholas Sanders after her defence barrister argued that the there was some doubt over whether Krause would be sent to a female or male establishment and that a prison sentence would put her in the "most awkward and dangerous place anyone could find themselves in".
Defending Krause, Richard Thomas, said, "If she were sent to prison she would find herself in the most awkward and dangerous place anyone could find themself in. "There is some doubt over whether she would go to a female or a male establishment. If she were to go to a male prison who knows what would happen to her, it hardly takes any thinking about to see how much danger she would be in.
"She would have to serve her sentence entirely on her own in isolation - this would be a far more severe prison sentence than anyone else would have to go through." Sentencing her to 12-weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, Judge Sanders said, "It's disappointing to me that it is clear from reports that notwithstanding the very clear evidence at the trial of the distress you caused Carol Story over a number of years, you still refuse to accept you have done anything wrong at all.
"What I'd prefer is a custodial sentence today, but having said that it is quite clear, and the point Mr Thomas makes is quite right, that you are a particularly vulnerable person in a prison environment. "It is quite clear you are a vulnerable person in the prison environment and in your case a prison sentence would have a greater impact than it would on other people.
"For that reason, and that reason alone, I propose a suspended sentence today." Krause was also given a four-year restraining order, subject to eight conditions, was ordered to carry out 120 hours of community service and given an 18-week curfew applicable from 6.30am-10am, 4.30pm-7pm and 8pm-midnight, to allow her to take her dog for walks.
During the trial Miss Story had said: ''I felt totally intimidated in my own home and my whole life had been turned upside down. ''It was getting me really down and depressed and after nine months of it, I put my house on the market. 'I couldn't stand the thought of being there any longer and being watched." Following the verdict, Miss Story had said, ''I'm just pleased with the verdict and I want to put this ordeal behind me.''
