A UK man, high on drugs, strangled his dancer girlfriend while the two were engaging in sexual activity, and later killed himself.
As per BBC, Luke Cannon, 31, of West Yorkshire choked Georgia Brooke, 26, at his home on February 2, 2022. The two had gotten intimate in bed after consuming cocaine and GHB, a nervous depressant that is also used for recreational purposes.
When the woman, who was a dancer with a sexual interest in choking -- as per the couple's friends -- passed out, Luke panicked and called emergency services. Despite being rushed to the hospital, she died of a cardiac arrest following which the West Yorkshire Police launched a murder probe and began searching for the boyfriend, who had gone missing soon after. He was later found hanging in the forest near the hospital.
A UK court was recently hearing the matter when the judge took note of the autopsy report and observed that while there was no proof that Cannon wanted to kill Brooke — he did use "excessive" force while choking her. The coroner recorded it as an unlawful killing.
The autopsy detailed that the principal cause of her death was "forceful and prolonged" compression of the neck.
The officials probing the matter informed the court that text messages were found on Brooke's phone wherein she consented to getting choked during sexual acts in the past. The messages also indicated Brooke's keenness in pursuing an "experimental sexual relationship with her boyfriend".
During the hearing, Cannon's brother described the former to be a "generous person" who "genuinely cared" for Brooke. However, the dancer's mother alleged that Cannon was "controlling, coercive" towards her daughter, even telling her "what to wear" and "where to sit".
Taking note of the crime— the UK coroner warned the youth of indulging in such activities involving drug abuse. “This type of sex act is dangerous and reckless and it all too often ends in fatal consequences,” said the coroner.
Published 17 May 2024, 11:02 IST