A TRANSGENDER woman will serve her sentence in a male prison after receiving a 12-year extended jail sentence for wounding with intent, robbery, false imprisonment and fraud. 

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justice today disclosed that Zara Jade, who was locked up at Bradford Crown Court yesterday, was not sent to a women’s prison. 

The spokeswoman could not reveal which jail the defendant was serving the sentence in but told the Telegraph & Argus it was ‘a male prison'. 

The court heard that Jade, 54, attacked her victim at her flat in Halifax in August last year after she had been out drinking.  

Prosecutor Lydia Pearce said she demanded cash and stabbed the woman in the arm and abdomen. She took some money and demanded the PIN for the victim’s bank card. 

She then used tights to tie her ankles, knees, chest and arms to the chair. She tilted it back and turned off the power supply before using the bank card to withdraw £300. 

The police were contacted after a district nurse saw the healing wounds during a visit a few days later and Jade was arrested. 

She admitted wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm, robbery, fraud and false imprisonment. 

Deputy Circuit Judge Timothy Clayson heard that in 1988 Jade was locked up for five years for rape and other sexual offences. In 2013, she had been jailed again for another sexual matter. 

Jade’s barrister, Richard Canning, said his client’s main focus now was to complete her transition. She had struggled with alcohol and made bad decisions while in drink. 

Judge Clayson said her victim had serious health issues and was particularly vulnerable. She had been helpless and unable to move or contact anyone after being tied in the chair. 

The next morning Jade was apologetic and said she felt mortified by what she had done. 

But the judge said the offences showed she was willing to behave in a callous and cruel way towards a vulnerable victim. 

Her previous convictions were for serious offences and he concluded that she was a dangerous offender. 

Jade will have to serve two thirds of the nine-year custodial term before being considered for release by The Parole Board. She will then be subject to an extended licence period of three years. 

New rules banning some transgender women from female prisons in England and Wales came into force last month.

Dominic Raab initially announced the measures in October affecting trans women who have male genitalia or have committed sexual offences.

The Justice Secretary later confirmed in February that he had also updated the policy to include transgender women convicted of violent offences as part of the ban.

The extra measure came after controversy in Scotland regarding Isla Bryson, a transgender woman who was convicted of raping two women before transitioning from a man known as Adam Graham.

The 31-year-old rapist was convicted in late January and was taken to Cornton Vale, Scotland’s only all-female facility, to be held in segregation to await sentencing.

Following an outcry from the public and politicians, Bryson was moved to the male estate within days and an urgent review was commissioned by Scottish Justice Secretary Keith Brown.