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A woman has been convicted of impersonating a man over two years to dupe her friend into having sex.

Gayle Newland, 25, disguised her appearance and voice as she demanded the other woman put on a blindfold when meeting up, a court heard.

The pair had sex about 10 times until the complainant ripped off her mask and in disbelief saw Newland wearing a prosthetic penis.

Newland said her accuser, also 25, knew she wasn't a man as they engaged in role play while struggling with their sexuality, Chester Crown Court heard.

(Image: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)

She said no blindfold was used and she did not strap bandages to her chest and wear a woollen hat and swimsuit.

She told the jury that the couple were acting out a “sexual fantasy”.

Newland, who denied deliberately hiding behind her alter ego Kye Fortune, insisted they were both aware of the truth.

She was found guilty of a specimen count relating to multiple sexual assaults, and two specific sex assaults on June 30, 2013.

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Newland was cleared of sexual assault at a hotel in February and a further charge relating to an alleged sexual assault in March.

The court had heard that Newland put a woolly hat on, claimed she was hiding her body because she had a tumour and embarrassing muscle wastage, and explained away her high-pitched voice by saying she was half-Filipino and half-Asian.

It was alleged that she was caught out when her partner ripped off her mask to see the woman standing over her using the sex toy.

But Newland told the jury: “She knew from the get go, from the beginning that Kye was a girl.

“My main reason why I spoke as Kye was for her.

“I knew better than anyone...if she wanted to hide her sexuality I would allow her to do that.

“The second reason was I had spoken as Kye since I was 13.

“I was not confident enough to come out and say I was a lesbian.”

Newland said the first meeting with the woman and Kye happened on Valentine’s Day 2013.

But she said it was the woman who pushed to become more intimate and buy the sex toy.

(Image: PA)

She said: “She had always talked about having sex and stuff and it was not something I was ready for.

“She told me to look online and there are things you can buy.

“It sounds silly but she told me to get it.”

Following the verdict, Newland sat open-mouthed and in some distress in the dock, reports the Liverpool Echo.

(Image: Ian Cooper)

Judge Roger Dutton told her: "You have now been convicted of serious charges. The consequences maybe serious, I have to tell you that."

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Newland shouted: "How can you send me down for something I haven't done."

The judge allowed the defendant's father to approach the dock to help to console her.

She repeated: "I don't understand, I don't understand."

Sentencing will be fixed for a later date in November.