Who is Katie Wallis? Tory and first trans MP admits harassing ex wife

At Cardiff Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, Katie Wallis admitted the "harassment without violence" of Rebecca Wallis - now known as Rebecca Lovell.

She subjected her to harassment between February 14 and March 21 of this year, the court heard, making unwanted phone calls, sending unwanted messages and a voice note.

“The frequency, nature, and contents of the messages and voicemails amounted to harassment of the victim,” prosecutor Simone Walsh told an initial hearing last month.

A previous allegation of driving past Ms Lovell’s home was removed, with the prosecution not offering any evidence that she had engaged in stalking.

Wallis will now be sentenced on July 14.

Who is Katie Wallis?

Bridgend-born Jamie Wallis, 41, served his hometown as Conservative MP from 2019 until last July’s election when he stood down due to electoral boundary changes. Labour’s Chris Elmore won the new seat last summer.

Wallis was a Tory councillor and had unsuccessfully run for MP positions in elections in 2016 and 2016 before he defeated long-time Bridgend Labour MP Madeleine Moon in 2019.

First trans MP

Wallis had come to prominence when, in 2022, he announced he was transgender, becoming the first in the House of Commons to do so.

He said that he had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria from a young age. At the time, he said he would still be known as Jamie Wallis and use he/him pronouns while still in office.

"I'm trans. Or to be more accurate, I want to be,” a statement from the time read.

In 2022 he also said that he had been raped a year previously and that his trans identity had been disclosed to his family by a blackmailer.

As of May 2025, Wallis has begun to use the name Katie and now uses she/her pronouns. "Legally, I am known as Jamie, but I prefer to be known as Katie,” she told the court on Tuesday.

Relationship and family history

Wallis had been with Ms Lovell for 15 years when they separated in 2020, their divorce being finalised last year. They have two daughters. While testifying in court, Ms Lovell spoke from behind a screen in order not to see her former spouse.

Court hearings

Wallis wore a black cardigan over a white shirt in court and spoke only to confirm her details and the plea.

Narita Bahra, representing Wallis in court, said the guilty plea was in respect of her client’s “very pragmatic view” of the effect her actions had on her former wife.

She added that she needed to know "what was happening in Dr Wallis' life and mind" at the time and that further conversations will be had before the sentencing next month.

"He has, on balance, taken the pragmatic view, and recognises that he has previously had a public profile and taken the view that he can be arraigned," Ms Bahra said.

She had said that her client’s mental health had spiralled during the times in which the actions were alleged.

Ms Bahra added that Ms Lovell did not want Wallis to come out full time as transgender.

“Dr Wallis was going through a very important stage of her transition process, which was to come out full-time,” she said.

“The complainant took issue with that. She did not want Dr Wallis to come out full-time as transgender.

“This involved announcing himself as a woman to the world and dressing as a woman full-time.”