Luke Addis was jailed for over three years at Worcester Crown Court for coercive control and ABH (Image: handout)

Birmingham Updates founder jailed as campaign of gaslighting, control and 'web of lies' uncovered

by · Birmingham Live

The founder of a Birmingham news site has been jailed after assaulting, controlling and gaslighting his girlfriend in a terrifying three year campaign of abuse. Luke Addis was sentenced to an immediate prison term as a judge branded him a "manipulative, controlling, practiced and polished liar."

The 36-year-old, who created Birmingham Updates but resigned in 2019, pleaded guilty to coercive control and actual bodily harm earlier this year and was sentenced to three and a half years at Worcester Crown Court yesterday (Oct 23). Deeming his crimes too serious for a suspended term, Judge Jackson said he caused "very serious alarm and distress" and said Addis has no 'realistic prospect of rehabilitation'.

The court heard how violent Addis pushed his partner down flights of stairs, pulled her fingers back, pinned her to the ground and punched her head and body. In one incident, she smacked her head and bruised her spine as she was pushed down a flight of 12 steps.

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In a separate attack around the same time, he pushed her to the floor, knelt on her chest and threw a McDonald's drink over her - all because she had not made a sandwich for him fast enough. In another incident Addis punched her in the head because he was "unhappy she had not made dinner arrangements,"

And his violence only increased as she began questioning lies "that didn't make sense." Lying, the court heard, was one of many tactics used by Addis to control his victim.

During the abuse, he predominantly lied about being from an "extremely wealthy family", making false claims they had private jets and a property empire. In reality, he had lived in a 'wooden shack' and shared a room with his disabled niece, separated only by a curtain, the court was told.

He also lied about having stage four cancer, having prosthetic testicles, moving to a fictional home in London and buying a £1million house in Birmingham. The coercive control lasted for three and a half years, between July 1, 2018 and December 31, 2021 and ABH assault took place on January 10, 2021.

Prosecuting, Mr Majid told the court: "The defendant would increasingly pull her hair, throw things at her, push her down the stairs, pull her up the stairs, pull her fingers back, throw her against the walls and floor, pin her to the ground and punch her. He justified his actions by saying their situation was exceptional."

In May 2020, she was left bleeding after Addis pushed her up the stairs, the court was told. In messages, he apologised saying: 'I'm so sorry for hurting you again, it wasn't my intention, but I have no way out sometimes.'" Later that year, in December, "he pushed her with force into the corner of the wall, causing her to smack her head," the prosecutor added.

"He again apologised but asserted that she had been putting pressure on him. In January 2021, she was pushed up stairs."

He added: "In February 2021, the defendant was arguing with her and pushed her down a flight of stairs, there are 12 steps and she fell hard, smacking her head and bruising her spine.

Domestic abuse

"Around the same time, she was making food, he became angry that she had not met his expectations in making a sandwich for him quickly enough. He marched over to her, pushed her to the floor and knelt on her chest. When he got off her, he threw the contents of a McDonald's drink over her."

Of the ABH assault, Mr Majid continued: "It followed an argument where he accused her of being a gold digger. While in the car, he punched her over and over to the head, arms and body relentlessly. She described it as a sustained attack. During the struggle, she knocked his glasses off his face. He got out and said he was leaving her.

"As soon as she got out of the vehicle and went after him, the defendant pushed her over and kicked her. She's also described an incident where she was punched in the head in a car when they went out to get food, the defendant being unhappy she had not made dinner arrangements, despite the fact she had been at work all day and was looking after the child.

"He refused to allow her back into the car until she apologised and promised to do better, otherwise he told her she would be a single mum." The court heard Addis had created a 'false persona' as he was ashamed of how he was living. These lies then continued as they began dating in 2018.

Mr Majid told the hearing: "He told various lies about his financial assets and means and those of his family. He talked about his family having a property empire and private jets. He asserted he owned 48 properties and various businesses and made assertions about having a private security detail and trackers. Given this was all untrue, the defendant made various excuses to avoid her meeting any of his family."

When the victim eventually escaped the abuse to 'rebuild her life', Addis would threaten her child would be taken away by police, asserting the phrase "money is power." He would message her friends, attempt to threaten her into speaking to him and contact her family constantly, the court heard.

He would create new accounts to contact her and would incessantly use no caller ID. "When she answered believing it was someone else, the defendant's contact ranged from emotional blackmail to begging, to threatening and bullying," the prosecutor said. "The defendant continued to maintain various lies, and also threatened to kill himself if she continued to refuse to speak to him.

Signs and symptoms of domestic abuse, according to Refuge

  • Is your partner jealous and possessive?
  • Are they charming one minute and abusive the next?
  • Do they tell you what to wear, where to go, who to see?
  • Do they constantly put you down?
  • Do they play mind games and make you doubt your judgment?
  • Do they control your money, or make sure you are dependent on him for everyday things?
  • Do they pressure you to have sex when you don’t want to?
  • Are they starting to walk on eggshells to avoid making him angry?
  • Do they control your access to medicine, devices or care that you need?
  • Do they monitor or track your movements or messages?
  • Do they use anger and intimidation to frighten and control you?

"He asserted [her] child would be taken from her by police. He asserted in the past that he could control her because he had money and she had nothing, and that money is power." Addis also threatened her mother, stating that he would "make her life hell."

Mitigating, Mr Egan told the court Addis had developed Birmingham Updates in the aftermath of the 2011 riots. Up until the age of 27, he was living in a "wooden shack or bungalow" with his mother, her partner and sharing a room with his niece, who has down syndrome.

Mr Egan said: "He was then dealing with people who were asking about him. He tells me he was ashamed of the circumstances in which he was living, circumstances in which, from childhood he had suffered neglect. And he created a persona which he deemed as being 'more presentationally acceptable.'"

He added: "He expresses his remorse. This was his family, this was the closest thing to happiness and normality that he'd ever enjoyed." He argued Addis, who had no previous convictions, is a man who "needs some help and intervention."

Sentencing, Judge Martin Jackson told Addis: "You deployed lying as one of the many tactics being used to control and coerce [the victim] when she was with you. The forms of control you exercised over her, in no particular order, include getting her to subsidise your living expenses, claiming you had financial difficulties, claiming a trust fund was being withheld from you. All of which was, as you now acknowledge, a pack of lies."

The judge dismissed the notion his offending was a result of his mental health, adding that the psychiatric report failed to persuade him of "any adverse mental health or indeed deprivation." He told him: "There was very serious alarm and distress caused to the victim in this case. There was fear of violence on many occasions, not only incidents where violence was actually used, but instances where your loss of temper and control was such that she feared violence might be used against her."

He added: "I have serious doubts about your level of insight into your offending. I do not consider that there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation; there will not be until you are prepared to confront what you have done."

Have you been affected by this? We would like to hear from you. You can contact us by emailing stephanie.balloo@reachplc.com