‘I was beaten and controlled by my transgender husband who was physically smaller than me’

A woman has revealed how she was beaten and controlled by her transgender husband.

Migle Smithson, 27, from Slough, met Dylan Smithson, 23, who was born a woman and whose birth name is ‘Alicia’, in 2020 when he was still pre-op.

But days after moving in together, Dylan began his campaign of terror against Migle – physically and mentally abusing her most days.

Despite Dylan being physically smaller than Migle, he beat her with clothes horses, steam mops and threatened her with knives.

The abuse worsened after the couple married and Migle constantly feared she’d be accused of transphobia if she reported him.

Migle, a holiday customer support agent, says: ‘It has been hard to accept what Dylan did to me, but I’m finally healing and moving forward.

‘I want people to know domestic violence doesn’t just happen between a heterosexual male and female.

‘It can happen in a LGBTQ+ relationship too.’

In August 2020, Migle matched with Dylan, a team leader at a courier company, on dating app, Badoo.

Dylan informed Migle that he was born a woman and he was on the NHS waiting list for sex reassignment surgery.

Migle says: ‘He told me his birth name was Alicia but he’d been ‘Dylan’ for the past year.

‘Admittedly, I had no friends or family that were transgender.

‘Hearing his story about how he’d felt like a boy since he was six touched my heart.’

The next month, Migle travelled 50 miles away from her hometown, London, to meet Dylan in Aldershot, Hampshire.

Migle says: ‘Dylan was genuine, kind and so respectful; everything I’d been looking for.

‘We took turns visiting each other on the weekends after that. I was head over heels in love.’

After dating for a few months, Migle agreed to relocate to Hampshire to live with Dylan.

But weeks before leaving, she confessed to Dylan that she had cold feet about leaving her job, family and friends.

Migle says: ‘Suddenly, Dylan grabbed my arms and pinned me against the wall.

‘Terrified, I begged him to let me go but he wouldn’t.

‘After Dylan calmed down, he cried and said that that wasn’t him and he was ashamed.

‘I told myself it was a one-off and I continued with the move.’

But weeks after Migle moved in, Dylan flipped again when she ignored a call from an unknown number, assuming it was a sales call.

Migle says: ‘Dylan accused me of cheating and began punching me, all over.

‘I cowered in fear. Afterwards, he was hysterical and promised it wouldn’t happen again.

‘He also said he’d kill himself if I left. I’d lost people to suicide in the past, and he knew that.

‘After that, I worried Dylan would take his life. I loved him so much.

‘I felt so trapped.’

The next month, in December 2020, Dylan proposed to Migle and she accepted, hoping it’d be a fresh start for the couple.

But Dylan abused Migle throughout their engagement and she suffered in silence.

In February 2022, they got married in front of their family and friends.

Migle says: ‘At our reception, I joked around while we were cutting our wedding cake.

‘Dylan sneered in my ear that he’d punch me in the mouth. I was devastated and wondered what I’d gotten myself into.’

From then on, Dylan pinned Migle on their bed, punched her in the head and kicked her body all over.

Migle says: ‘Every day, I was black and blue.

‘As Dylan was born a woman, he was smaller and thinner than me.

‘Yet somehow, he overpowered me, physically and mentally.

‘I wanted to reach out to someone but I’d uprooted my entire life for Dylan. With no job, friends or family, I felt lost.’

Over time, Dylan didn’t let Migle wear make-up and banned her from wearing skirts or tight clothing.

Migle says: ‘I was also like his slave. When he’d come home from work, he’d beat me if the washing wasn’t done or if I hadn’t made the bed.

‘He constantly called me fat, ugly and useless.

‘Things got so bad, on Boxing day, Dylan pushed me down a flight of stairs and broke my foot.’

Months later, Dylan threatened Migle with a kitchen knife and threatened to kill her.

He soon started attacking her with clothes horses, steam mops and other household items too.

Migle says: ‘My life was hell. I desperately wanted to report Dylan but as he was trans, I was terrified.

‘I didn’t want people to think I was transphobic. I’d barely seen or read of any trans abusers on the news.’

Dylan’s campaign of terror against Migle worsened and she soon grew worried that he’d kill her.

Then one day, in May 2022, their neighbour called the police during an attack and Dylan was arrested.

In October 2022, Dylan Smithson, now 23, of Slough, pleaded guilty to two counts of ABH and one count each of coercive and controlling behaviour and affray against Migle and one count of criminal damage at Reading Crown Court.

The next month, he was jailed for two years and nine months.

Migle says: ‘Even though Dylan was trans, they treated my case, like any other.

‘Dylan was given no special treatment and I realised all my worries were for nothing.

‘Although I’ve suffered a lot of flashbacks and nightmares, I’m finally free.

‘I’m just waiting for our divorce to be finalised and I can properly move forward.

‘No-one should be afraid to report their abuser, no matter what their background is.

‘If you are experience anything like this, please, leave before it’s too late.

‘You will be believed.’