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

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 raping six of them and the attempted rape of another.

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 woman 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."

Violent attacks and intimate videos

Ford was also 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.

He was also convicted of possessing extreme pornographic images involving bestiality.

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Could 'seriously endanger' women again

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

The judge had deliberated on whether to impose an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR), but instead handed the accused a 21-year extended sentence, with 16 years in jail and five years on licence once released back into the community.

Lord Summers said he was dissuaded from imposing an OLR due to a number of reasons, including Ford's lack of previous convictions and a "willingness to accept the wrongfulness" of his conduct.

The judge said: "While this is not a decisive factor, I consider that it indicates that you are gaining some insight into the true nature of your conduct rather than blaming the victims."

Ford was also said to have voluntarily undertaken a series of educational programmes in prison designed to provide insight into his offending behaviour.

Lord Summers said he had "reason to think" Ford "may be amenable to change".

However, the judge noted evidence showed that there is a "likelihood" on release he will "seriously endanger the public and specifically women".

Lord Summers said any risk posed will be "best managed" by the extended sentence.

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

'Manipulative sexual predator'

Police Scotland's Detective Inspector Steven Gray branded Ford a "manipulative sexual predator".

Katrina Parkes, Scotland's procurator fiscal for high court sexual offending, added: "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."

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