An actor – who claimed he stood in as a body double for Brad Pitt – has been jailed for 16 years for a string of sex attacks, including rape for secretly not using a condom during sex.

The prosecution is the first in Scotland for “stealthing” – where a condom is removed or not used without a partner’s knowledge.

Luke Ford, 35, denied any wrongdoing but was last year found guilty of a spate of offences following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

He was convicted of 19 charges of abusing nine female partners, including rape and attempted rape.

Jurors heard how he terrorised his victims over a 12-year period between 2008 and 2020, subjecting them to physical, mental and sexual abuse.

Ford was said to be a jobbing actor and model who appeared in a pop video by Deacon Blue and claimed he was a stand-in for Brad Pitt on the 2013 film World War Z, part of which was shot in Glasgow.

His trial heard how he preyed on women on dating apps, first showering them with affection before financially exploiting, controlling and abusing them.

‘I felt completely violated’

In the “stealthing” case, Ford was said to have met a female psychologist via Tinder in 2017 and after a few dates they discussed having sex.

The woman messaged Ford stipulating that he use protection because she did not want to risk pregnancy, to which he reportedly replied: “Good idea.”

While in bed, the woman handed him a condom but he later admitted that he had not used it.

She told the court: “I was shocked and upset. I would not have had sex with him without a condom. I asked him to leave. I felt completely violated.”

When she confronted him the next day with the concern that she could be pregnant, he dismissed her as “paranoid”, saying that it was “no big deal” and to take the morning-after pill.

He reportedly texted: “Just get the pill and if you are pregnant get rid of it.”

Ford was convicted of a number of assaults, including strangling, smashing one partner’s head off a car window, and slapping another hard across the face.

He also took intimate videos and photographs of partners, often covertly, and threatened to show them to their employers and family if they did not do as he wished.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said several victims described being isolated from their family and friends while under Ford’s abusive and controlling behaviour.

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Ford, originally of Stirling, was sentenced by Lord Summers at the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

He was handed a 21-year extended sentence, with 16 years in jail and five years on licence once released back into the community.

Ford was also placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and banned from contacting his victims.

Katrina Parkes, Scotland’s procurator fiscal for high court sexual offending, said: “Luke Ford is a serial offender who demonstrated no respect for the consent of his victims.

“He was prepared to use manipulation, force or threats to carry out his abuse. He showed disregard for the importance of consent between partners.

“I hope that the many victims in this troubling case find some relief in Ford being held accountable for his offending. I commend them for their courage and strength.”

Rachel Reeves has repeatedly told us that Labour will not play “fast and loose” with the public finances but is the government playing fast and loose with inflation?

At 2.6%, the inflation rate is nowhere near the double-digit highs we saw in 2022 but it is still above target and is likely to stay above target because of decisions made by the government.

In her October budget, the chancellor unveiled a big increase in public spending, which will boost demand in the economy, as well as a slew of tax rises on businesses that are likely to be passed on to customers.

In response, economists revised up their inflation forecasts, meaning the headline rate will stay above target for longer. Some city analysts are now predicting the index will hit 3.1% in April.

Money latest: What inflation figure means for you

Again, this is a world away from where we were, but it is worth bearing in mind that we are still reeling from the events of the past few years.

While the inflation rate has come down, the price level is still high – prices have not come down.

In fact, they are more than 20% higher than they were in 2021.

Wages have been rising but not by enough. On average they are lower, in real terms, than they were in 2021.

The government may be confident that inflation won’t get out of control but, if it does, we have less space to absorb price increases because we are poorer this time round.

The forecasts say inflation will fall back to target, but if the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that inflation can be temperamental and stubborn, quickly moving against us.

What about interest rates?

The headline rate has already climbed above the Bank of England‘s most recent projections.

This means that interest rates will also come down more slowly than initially thought. The Bank is likely to hold rates at 4.75% on Thursday.

Above-target inflation and wage growth mean the Bank’s monetary policy committee will likely take a cautious approach.

Considering the economy is flatlining at best and could really do with a boost, it’s a dismal trade-off.

Gregg Wallace will be replaced by restaurant critic Grace Dent in the next series of the BBC’s Celebrity MasterChef.

Dent, a Guardian columnist and former I’m A Celebrity contestant, will join regular MasterChef presenter John Torode as a judge during next year’s 20th season of the TV cooking competition.

Wallace is facing allegations of inappropriate behaviour from more than a dozen people across a range of shows over a 17-year period.

It was announced last month that he would step away from his presenting role on MasterChef amid an external review into historical allegations of misconduct.

‘So excited I can’t eat’

Dent, 51, has appeared regularly as a guest on the show and last year took part in MasterChef: Battle Of The Critics.

She is The Guardian’s restaurant critic and also hosts the Comfort Eating podcast where she chats with celebrities about food.

In a statement after the announcement, she said: “I’ve been watching MasterChef since I was a girl sitting with my dad on the sofa. My whole family watches it. It’s all about uncovering and championing talent – and to have ended up in this position, is more than a dream to me.”

She added: “I’m so excited that I can’t eat, which is severely detrimental to a restaurant critic. I feel very lucky to be stepping in for the next Celebrity MasterChef. I can’t wait to meet the fresh celebrity faces for 2025.”

Torode said: “I have loved working with Grace on MasterChef over the years. She has been an excellent guest, an inspiring critic and also set some incredible challenges. Expertise is what MasterChef is all about, from the contestants to our wonderful production team, to us as judges.

“The love of food, the love of MasterChef, and that unquestionable expertise, makes Grace the perfect person to step in alongside me as judge for the forthcoming Celebrity MasterChef series.”

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MasterChef executive editor David Ambler also hailed Dent’s “expertise”, as well as her “wit and finely-honed palette”.

Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment at the BBC, added “energetic” Dent is the “perfect choice”.

The most recent series of MasterChef: The Professionals continued to air amid a storm of allegations against Wallace.

However, two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials, a Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off and a MasterChef Strictly Festive Extravaganza, featuring Strictly Come Dancing professional dancers, have been pulled from the BBC’s festive schedule.

Wallace’s lawyers previously told the BBC: “It is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.”

Downing Street criticises Wallace’s remarks

Shortly after the allegations first emerged, Wallace recorded a video where he dismissed his accusers as “middle-class women of a certain age”.

His remarks were met with huge criticism – including from Downing Street, where a spokesperson for the prime minister described them as “completely inappropriate and misogynistic”.

Wallace responded by posting a follow-up clip where he apologised and said he “wasn’t in a good space” when he posted the comments.