A trans-identified male who criminally harassed his own sister and later set fire to her and her husband’s cars will serve his 20-month sentence in a male prison.
Davina Moore, of Chudleigh Knighton, was found guilty of arson and harassment by judge Stephen Climie at Exeter Crown Court this month. The judge also issued a restraining order that prohibits Moore, 54, from contacting his sister or her husband in the future. He will serve his sentence at HMP Exeter.
Moore harassed his sister, Sara Smith, and her husband, Gary Smith, over a period of five months beginning in December 2023. He was remanded into custody after facing formal charges in May of this year. The charges included harassment without violence, two counts of arson, and one charge of criminal damage to a vehicle.
Moore claimed that his sister was spreading rumors about him being a pedophile in their small village —an accusation that the prosecutor in his case denied. His harassment of the Smiths included: repeatedly showing up at their home; throwing a brick through the window of Gary’s car; throwing lit firecrackers into the couple’s yard; attempting to have Sara fired from her employment; leaving a can of gasoline next to their vehicles; and eventually dousing their vehicles in gasoline and setting them on fire on April 18.
On the day of the arsons, the Smiths were home when they heard a noise outside. They investigated and discovered it was Moore, dousing their Hyundai and Mazda vehicles in gasoline before setting them ablaze. The couple ran outside and attempted to put the fire out with their garden hose, but were unsuccessful. The fire was eventually put out by the fire department, but both of their vehicles were destroyed. Moore admitted to his guilt when interviewed by police.
As per media reports, the presiding judge told Moore that the “arson charges are extraordinarily serious because they were perceived as revenge attacks for matters which your sister and her partner had denied, although I accept you do not perceive that necessarily.”
Since being imprisoned in May 2024, Moore has been unable to access synthetic estrogen treatment. He reportedly wishes to obtain a vaginoplasty, or penile inversion surgery, this fall, but will be unable to do so if he is still in prison. Moore, who has fathered five children, also stands to lose his job as a heavy equipment operator. He allegedly also cares for his 82-year-old mother.