A woman was forced to abandon her wedding plans two months before the ceremony when her fiancé was arrested for downloading indecent images of children. Tracy Gow’s world was turned upside down after the police arrived at her Falkirk home with a warrant for her partner Luke Whittaker. The revelations continued to unravel as she learnt that her 33 year old fiancé had a history of sexual offences.
Now, Tracy, a 45 year old finance professional, is left dealing with over £20,000 in debts following the cancellation of her wedding. Despite working tirelessly to repay vendors, Tracy has found little respite, as most suppliers have refused to refund her for the scrapped plans.
The horror unfolded last July as Tracy was finalising details for her marriage slated to take place at The Vu in Bathgate on September 13, 2024. Tracy stated: “We planned to get married at The Vu in Bathgate on September 13, 2024.”, reports the Daily Record.
The discovery of what led to Luke’s arrest made continuing the relationship impossible for her. Tracy expressed her disgust by saying, “Even if you’re not physically touching a child, by downloading those images you are absolutely complicit. That’s child abuse.”
To her further distress, it emerged this wasn’t his first offence. She explained, “Then I found out he’d done things before. It was like the entire relationship had been a lie. I’m 12 years older than him, I truly believe he used me to cover his real self. People must have known about him but no one said a word.”
Tracy, initially meeting Luke during the 2020 lockdown, did not begin their romance until 2022. The proposal happened amidst the backdrop of a Nashville trip to watch country sensation Luke Combs, catapulting them into immediate wedding planning. Tracy’s romance turned into a nightmare of emotional turmoil and devastating financial loss.
She lamented: “Personally, I’ve lost around £20,000. He was in debt for about £6000 of the wedding costs but I’m the one repaying everything on loans and credit cards. I just want it over with. I’ve spent about £5000-£10,000 of my own money already, and I’m still over £10,000 in debt, not including the cancellation fees. He never properly contributed to the household either. I feel like a complete idiot.”
Tragically, Tracy also shared that she had unknowingly aided Whittaker’s criminal activities by taking out a mobile phone contract for him, a decision that continues to cost her as service providers refuse to terminate the agreement. “I call it the ‘devil device’. Looking at the phone records, I saw constant calls to sex shops down south, multiple times a month. I think he was spending most of his money on that and alcohol.”
Despite enduring vile sexually explicit messages from him post-arrest, authorities informed Tracy that they did not constitute a crime and he has now ceased contact. She expressed her fears, divulging: “I’m not considered a victim, so I’ve been told nothing about his case. I fear there’s more to come out. He’s a predator.”
With a heavy heart, she reflected: “I regret not taking out wedding insurance but my biggest regret is being taken in by him. He might think his crimes are victimless but they’re not. As soon as I found out what police arrested him for I found more devices and handed them in. I can’t bear to think of the poor children in those images. It’s disgusting and I hope they throw the book at him.”
She is also advocating for a change in legislation after learning she wouldn’t have been eligible for checks under Clare’s Law or Sarah’s Law. “I don’t have kids under 16, and he had no convictions for domestic abuse so there was no way to find out. That has to change.”
Whittaker admitted guilt to five charges involving indecent images of children and is set to be sentenced next week. He was held on remand following his appearance at Falkirk Sheriff Court on April 20.