The ‘controlling’ boyfriend of a professional dancer who was strangled to death during rough sex has been pictured for the first time as her devastated mother revealed how she became ‘more submissive’ after she met him.
Georgia May Brooke, 26, and Luke Cannon, 31, had cocaine and alcohol fuelled sex after taking the illegal party drug GHB.
But on February 3 2022 disaster struck after the personal trainer and gym teacher choked her unconscious and then maintained the grip on her neck until she went into cardiac arrest.
After an inquest into both deaths came to an end on Wednesday, Georgia’s mother Samantha Beaumont blamed the dancer’s partner and accused Mr Cannon of being ‘controlling’ and ‘coercive’, and of telling her what to wear.
When paramedics arrived at his home, in Bradford, West Yorkshire, following his 999 call they found Ms Brooke naked and without a pulse on his bed.
Despite CPR and adrenaline injections Georgina was pronounced dead at 12.34am at Bradford Royal Infirmary.
Luke Cannon, 31, hung himself after strangling his girlfriend to death during rough sex in February 2022
Georgia May Brooke, 26 was strangled to death by her boyfriend, personal trainer and gym owner Luke Cannon, 31
Speaking outside court, Georgia’s mother Samantha Beaumont said her daughter’s behaviour changed when she began dating Luke Cannon
In a statement read outside court after the inquest, Ms Beaumont said the family’s ‘journey to seeking justice and closure has finally come to an end’.
She added: ‘Georgia had her whole life ahead of her. Her passion for dancing was her life and her true love. Georgia was 26 years young – a beautiful and talented dancer – adored and loved by her mother and equally by her family.
‘Georgia, you are always in our hearts and forever on our minds. We love you, keep dancing with the angels.’
After Georgia was pronounced dead, concerned medical staff alerted the police but Cannon fled the hospital before officers arrived.
Cannon had told a senior registrar: ‘Her mum is going to kill me. I should have died instead.’
He phoned a friend, saying: ‘Tell her mum I’m going to be with her.’
Bradford Coroner’s Court heard that Cannon then climbed over a wall into wooded area near the hospital and hanged himself. His body was discovered a few hours later.
In a statement, Samantha described how her daughter’s behaviour changed after she had met Luke.
After she had met Luke, Samantha described his behaviour as ‘manic and hyperactive’ and said Georgia had become ‘submissive’. Samantha claimed Luke had been ‘controlling’.
Following Georgia’s death, Samantha said she had been told that her daughter had been ‘strangled during sex’ and said that, in her view, Luke was responsible for killing her daughter.
A statement from Mr Connor’s brother, Joshua, said he had ‘genuinely cared’ for his partner and was a ‘generous person who would always do what he could to help people’.
In a statement, a friend said she believed Georgia and Luke had a ‘sex and drug-fuelled relationship’ and that they would ‘choke each other. The friend said Luke ‘seemed manipulative’ and came across as a ‘loud mouth and ladies’ man.’
Mr Cannon (right, pictured with his parents and brother) told medical staff: ‘I should have died instead’
After she had met Luke, Samantha described his behaviour as ‘manic and hyperactive’ and said Georgia had become ‘submissive’
The hearing was told that Luke was known to some as a property developer but one witness claimed he was a drug dealer. His landlord said Luke had worked as a personal trainer and had his own gym.
Det Sgt Phil Hardwick, of West Yorkshire Police, investigated both deaths.
He told the hearing that Cannon had been wanted on the suspicion of murdering Ms Brooke following the concerns of medical staff, but that all sex between the couple has always been consensual.
He has looked at Ms Brooke’s phone records and told Coroner Martin Fleming: ‘It’s fair to say there are text messages consistent with Georgia having an interest in chocking in a sexual point of view.’
Detective Sargent Hardwick also said recent internet searches by Ms Brooke included ‘why do I like being choked psychology?’
Pathologist Dr Christopher Johnson found Ms Brooke’s cause of death was manual strangulation, but there was also ‘potentially fatal’ levels of GHB in her system, alongside cocaine and alcohol.
Dr Johnson said Georgia would have lost consciousness after about 15 to 30 seconds of being choked, but Luke must have continued to apply pressure to her neck a lot longer after she passed out to caused her to go into cardiac arrest.
He explained that choking is used during sex to make the body go into hypoxia (starvation of oxygen) which can cause euphoria and heighten sexual pleasure.
He agreed that it is an ‘extremely dangerous practice.’
Ms Brooke’s mother, Samantha Beaumont, told the inquest that her daughter was the youngest of four children and she was known in the family as ‘Princess Georgia’.
She studied dance at Millennium Performing Arts in London and was talented in ballet, modern and tap.
After graduating she found work as a dancer at a hotel in Greece and taught dance in her home town of Ossett on her return.
She said Ms Brooke was only 5ft tall and weighed seven and a half stone. Mrs Beaumont said her daughter loved watching Love Island and her favourite film was ‘Beauty and the Beast’.
Weeping, she told the court: ‘She assumed everyone was nice, just like in the Disney films.
‘Dancing was her life. We are devastated beyond belief at her death.’
Statements from friends of Cannon and Ms Brooke said they were always partying and Cannon was always on drugs.
Ms Brooke was found with no pulse on a bed in Cannon’s home in Bradford. Friends said the pair had a ‘sex and drug-fuelled relationship’
Another friend described Ms Brooke as ‘a little bit kinky’.
Recording a verdict of ‘unlawful killing’ on Ms Brooke, the coroner Mr Fleming said: ‘She was consensual to the sexual practices she adopted with Luke.
‘There is no evidence he suggested to kill Georgia, he was primarily motivated by sexual gratification.’
He said it was a ‘sex game gone wrong.’
He said: ‘This type of sexual activity is dangerous and is reckless and it all too often results in fatal consequences.
‘This should send a strong deterrent message to those who engage in such sexual practices. There is no margin for error, particularly when using drugs .
‘The great tragedy here is that it has resulted in the death of a young woman who had a very bright future ahead of her.’
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