Brigitte Fell

Garrick Jacobson was unaware his girlfriend had a sex change, until the police told him he was "sleeping with a guy", a court heard yesterday.

"The officers were, like, paying me out," Jacobson recalled in a subsequent police interview.

"Just laughing their heads off, (saying) she's a bloke. You've been sleeping with a guy, ha ha ha."

The revelation pushed him "over the edge", Downing Centre Local Court heard, and just hours later he assaulted his then girlfriend Brigitte Fell at her inner Sydney home.

Just laughing their heads off, (saying) she's a bloke. You've been sleeping with a guy, ha ha ha.

Jacobson, 26, gave evidence at a hearing for Constables Tyrone Stacey and Brendan Ritson, who are accused of breaching privacy laws over the incident on September 24, 2006.

They have pleaded not guilty to unlawfully disclosing information about Ms Fell - who has undergone gender reassignment surgery - while Mr Jacobson was in custody at Surry Hills police station.

Jacobson, who was arrested for allegedly stealing beer, could not describe the officers who spoke to him but said he felt "disturbed and distressed" by what they allegedly said.

"I felt deceived ... because the female I'd been with was a male, had a sex change," he said.

After being released from custody, he broke into Ms Fell's unit, yelling: "You didn't tell me you were actually a man - I'm going to smash you."

Jacobson said he slapped Ms Fell, who tumbled over a railing to the floor below and was knocked out.

He pleaded guilty to breaking and entering and assault and was ordered to face sentencing today. The court heard Jacobson was interviewed by police on September 25.

He said when police showed him a mug shot of Ms Fell, indicating she was a male, "it just pushed me over the edge".

Courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald.

A Transgender person who identifies as a member of the 'opposite' sex, i.e. other than their birth sex.  Transsexuals usually seek hormone therapy and often surgery to bring their body into line with their gender identity.

Tags: gay australia, homophobia, homophobic, police, transgender