Gayle Newland, 25, was found guilty of sexual assault after posing as a man to have sex with her female friend.

The court heard that Newland (pictured) posed as a man and tricked her friend into a two year long sexual relationship, using a swimsuit and strap-on prosthetic penis to conceal her identity.

According to the complainant, Newland posed as a man called “Kye Fortune” on Facebook and the two quickly struck up an online friendship before meeting in person.  “Kye” was supposedly recovering from a brain tumour and was covered in scars. As he was quite self conscious about his appearance, he asked if she could wear a blindfold when they met. “Kye” continued to insist that the victim wear the blindfold for their entire two year relationship and the victim complied.

“Every time I met up with Kye Fortune, I either had the mask on already or he would wait outside the door and I would put it on,” the accuser said. “I was so desperate to be loved. It’s pathetic, so desperate for love, so desperate.”

Newland admitted to the court that she used the “Kye” persona to chat to women online as she was uncomfortable being a lesbian. However, she said that her accuser knew that she was a woman and that the male persona was a part of a consensual shared fantasy as they were both struggling with their sexuality.

The jury found Newland guilty after damning text messages and emails were shown in court, in which Newland was apologising to her lover for lying about her identity. She explained that just wanted her girlfriend to forgive her and would have said “absolutely anything” to win her back.

“All I knew was: I needed her in my life. I loved her. I didn’t want to be without her. I couldn’t imagine being without her. Stupid, in love, or whatever the hell you want to call it, but I think I would have done absolutely anything, said absolutely anything … as ridiculous as it sounds, for her to stay in my life,” Newland told the court.

Her behaviour also contributed to the guilty verdict. The woman tried to kill herself by jumping off a bridge around the time that the events unfolded. She failed to so, and told a police officer she had done something her friend would “never forgive” her for.

Newland is now awaiting sentencing.