A SCHOOL caretaker says his life is in ruins after he spent £12,000 battling to get a visa for his transsexual Malaysian wife – only for her to leave him after it was granted.

Ian Young claimed he was hounded out of jobs at three Derby schools by angry parents because of his love for Fatine, who was born a man.

The saga left the 32-year-old jobless and homeless and at one stage he tried to take his own life by downing a bottle of pills.

Mr Young, who lived in Pear Tree but has since moved away, said he was re-building his life as the couple had split up after Fatine had secured her visa to live in the UK.

"I lost my job, I lost my house and I finally I lost my wife," he said. "I used every penny I had and I lost everything.

"I feel like a fool. It was supposed to be the happiest time of my life. Now she won't speak to me and she won't get a divorce.

"I need to try and sort my life out. I need to start over again and get back on track."

Mr Young met Fatine, 38, while working in Malaysia and initially he did not realise she was born a man. But after she told him the relationship continued.

Fatine moved to Derby and the couple tied the knot in a civil ceremony in 2009.

They fought for a visa for Fatine after the request was initially turned down by the Home Office, saying she could be jailed if she returned to Malaysia, where homosexuality is illegal.

Both told the Derby Telegraph how in love they were.

But life became difficult after Mr Young had to leave schools – including St Chad's Infants, where he had worked for more than two years – after complaints from parents who disapproved of his lifestyle.

He was prescribed anti-depressants by his doctor and said he even tried to commit suicide by taking an overdose of pills in the back of his van, close to Swarkestone Bridge.

After battling for months for Fatine to stay in Derby she was finally granted a visa – but Ian claimed she moved out a fortnight later and travelled to Blackpool.

He said: "Our relationship was okay but it was always filled with worry about visas, not just about getting them, but where we were getting the money from.

"We had applied five times in total and the cost was thousands. I was a caretaker in a small school earning £640 a month.

"I admit that I did neglect Fatine when I was depressed. I just wanted her to tell me we could get though it together but she wasn't interested."

The couple first met in a coffee shop in Malaysia. Mr Young did not realise Fatine, who was born Mohammed Fazdil Min Bahari, was a transsexual.

However, even though she did not want to have sex-change surgery the caretaker said he was still in love and "could not contemplate his life without her". He said: "Being a straight man, I did have a few concerns. But I couldn't ignore how I felt."

Death threats from Malaysia were put on an internet site set up to support Fatine, who initially came to Derby on a six-month tourist visa.

Now Mr Young, who is staying with a pal in the Peak District, wants to get divorced and put the ordeal behind him. He said: "We said we would be with each other until we were old. That's not going to happen now.

"I'm staying with a friend and trying to start my own business. There's some land here ready to be planted and sown and some chickens, which are producing eggs.

"I'm still in debt, but I'm moving on and getting back on my feet."

And he said that he would not be able to start another relationship until he had managed to secure a divorce through the courts.

"People always say they would have done things differently, but it's a lot easier to say that when you're looking back. I just want to put it all behind me."

Ian said he did not know where Fatine was and the Derby Telegraph was unable to reach her.