Woman blames former male side for vicious attack

SURREY, B.C. - A Surrey, B.C. woman who had a sex-change operation has been sentenced to five years in prison for assaulting her former common-law wife.

Cara-Ann Lindley has already served 100 days in jail, so she will serve more than four more years behind bars.

Four years ago, Lindley – then known as Ray West – moved in with Susan McIntosh and they had a son.

In January 2003, West told his wife he had cancer and was going to Montreal for treatment, but he was actually going to have a sex-change operation.

It's only when he returned to Vancouver a few months later that McIntosh discovered that Ray was becoming Cara-Ann.

McIntosh then tried to break off the relationship.

Five months ago, Cara-Ann went to McIntosh's house in Surrey and beat her with a tire iron 20 times and tried to strangle her.

McIntosh's cheekbone and teeth were smashed, and she had major reconstruction surgery, requiring 66 staples, 49 stitches and a face plate.

Defence lawyer Greg Rideout claimed Lindley's former male personality was responsible for the attack.

He also blamed a combination of estrogen and alcohol.

But Judge Dennis Devitt called it a cowardly and vicious act.