Luke Ford: Actor who claimed he was ‘Brad Pitt body double’ jailed for rapes – including secretly not using condom

Published

5 months ago

December 18, 2024

admin

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.

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.”

UK

Man, 53, charged over Liverpool parade incident

Published

13 hours ago

May 29, 2025

admin

Man, 53, charged over Liverpool parade incident

A 53-year-old man has been charged after a car was driven into a crowd at Liverpool FC’s trophy parade.

Paul Doyle, from the West Derby area of Liverpool, has been charged with seven offences, Merseyside Police said.

The businessman, who is a father-of-three, is accused of two counts of unlawful and malicious wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and two counts of causing unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Doyle is also accused of two counts of attempted unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and one count of dangerous driving.

He is due to appear before Liverpool Magistrates Court on Friday.

The charges relate to six people, including two children. A wounding charge and an attempted grievous bodily harm charge relate to a child.

A police car was outside Doyle’s four-bedroom detached family home in the West Derby area on Thursday morning.

According to his social media, he has travelled extensively including Japan, Fiji, India and Australia. Doyle has posted pictures of himself competing in triathlons, and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Thousands of fans were gathered in Liverpool city centre on Monday to celebrate the Premier League champions’ title win when a car struck a crowd on Water Street.

Police said a total of 79 people were injured in the incident, with the youngest aged nine, and the oldest being a 78-year-old.

Seven people remain in hospital in a stable condition.

‘Huge volume of evidence’

Chief crown prosecutor for the CPS Mersey-Cheshire, Sarah Hammond, told a news conference on Thursday that the investigation was at an early stage and a “huge volume of evidence” was being reviewed.

“This includes multiple pieces of video footage and numerous witness statements. It is important to ensure that every victim gets the justice they deserve.

“The charges will be kept under review as the investigation progresses.”

Police ‘working tirelessly’

Also at the briefing where the charges were announced was Assistant Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, Jenny Sims, who said: “I fully understand how this incident has left us all shocked and saddened, and I know many will continue to have concerns and questions.

“Our detectives are working tirelessly, with diligence and professionalism, to seek the answer to all of those questions. When we are able to, we will provide further information.”

UK

Body found in search for missing teenage girl who fell into reservoir

Published

14 hours ago

May 29, 2025

admin

Body found in search for missing teenage girl who fell into reservoir

A body has been found in the search for a missing teenage girl who fell into a reservoir, police have said.

West Yorkshire Police confirmed they recovered a body from the Baitings Reservoir, near Ripponden, on Thursday afternoon.

A formal identification is yet to take place, but police believe the body to be that of the missing teenage girl.

The girl’s family have been informed.

Emergency services were called to the reservoir at 1.17pm on Wednesday following reports that a teenage girl had fallen into the water from Baitings Dam.

Police, fire and ambulance crews, as well as an underwater search team, were deployed to the scene for the search, which continued on Thursday until a body was found.

Detective Inspector Laura Hall of Calderdale’s Safeguarding Team said: “While formal identification is yet to take place, the girl’s family have been informed and are being supported by specially-trained officers.

“My thoughts go out to her family and friends at this very sad time.

“Our enquiries are continuing into the death in order to establish exactly what happened yesterday, but we do not believe it to be suspicious.”

UK

Ages of youngest and oldest Liverpool crash victims released

Published

15 hours ago

May 29, 2025

admin

Ages of youngest and oldest Liverpool crash victims released

The youngest victim injured in the Liverpool parade crash on Monday is nine years old, police have said.

They added that the oldest is 78, with all 79 people injured understood to be British. Seven remain in hospital in a stable condition.

Merseyside Police declined to say what drug the 53-year-old man arrested over the incident is alleged to have taken.

“We wouldn’t go into this detail at this stage of the investigation,” the force said.

Police are still questioning the driver and were granted further time to do so on Wednesday.

Officers have until Thursday evening to question the man from West Derby.

He is in custody on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving and drug driving.

Police believe the car which struck pedestrians was able to follow an ambulance crew attending to someone suffering a heart attack after a road block was temporarily lifted.

Hundreds of thousands of Liverpool fans had turned out to celebrate their team’s Premier League title when the incident unfolded on Water Street just after 6pm on Monday.

‘The best day of my life turned into worst’

Sky News interviewed a lifelong Liverpool fan who said his five-month-old son was “bounced” 15ft (4.6m) in his pram after they were hit by the vehicle.

The child was not counted in the police’s injury tally.

Daniel Eveson, 36, also said his partner had been driven over.

“The best day of my life turned into [the] worst,” Mr Eveson said.

He added: “Me and my partner were flat on the roof, on the bonnet… we were just both trying to hold on for dear life with Ted next to us.

“And my partner went under the wheels of the car, of the front of the car, and it rolled over her leg, and I just bounced off to the side, but my boy and his pram got bounced totally in the opposite direction – about 15ft down the road.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer travelled to Liverpool to meet with police chiefs and the local metro mayor.

He said he was being kept informed of developments, adding: “The scenes on Monday were just awful, to see how incredible joy at an amazing achievement turned to horror in a moment.”

Messages of support have been sent to the people of Liverpool, including from the King who said: “I know that the strength of community spirit for which your city is renowned will be a comfort and support to those in need.”

The Prince and Princess of Wales said they were “deeply saddened” by the incident.