Luke Hart, now 36, helped his mother Claire, 50, and sister Charlotte, 19, secretly move into a rented house in Spalding, Lincolnshire, on July 14, 2016, to escape his father Lance Hart's coercive control. Five days later, on July 19, 2016, Lance shot Claire and Charlotte dead in the car park of Castle Sport Complex before turning the gun on himself.
The Escape and the Murders
Luke and his younger brother Ryan had arranged the move while Lance was at work. They loaded a removal van with belongings and the family dogs, Indi and Bella, and transported Claire and Charlotte to their new home. On the day of the murders, Claire and Charlotte had agreed to meet Lance after their morning swim. He arrived with an unregistered single-barrel shotgun and killed them both, then himself. Luke received a distressed call from Ryan, who had a horrible feeling the murders involved their mother and sister. Police later confirmed the deaths. The brothers were working abroad at the time—Ryan in Holland and Luke in Aberdeen—and police met them at Heathrow airport.
A History of Coercive Control
Luke described Lance's behaviour as increasingly controlling over the years. After the family moved to Moulton, Lincolnshire, Lance struggled with work and became resentful. He demanded perfection, blamed others for minor disruptions, and kept Claire under constant surveillance, taking her keys, passport, and driver's license and locking them in a safe. He rang her constantly at work. Luke recalled walking on eggshells and feeling dangerous to misbehave. Lance left a 12-page suicide note that included the phrase 'revenge is a dish served cold'.
Aftermath and Legacy
In the years following the murders, Luke and Ryan founded CoCo Awareness to help professionals understand coercive control and domestic abuse. Luke noted that despite no physical violence, the family never felt they could go to the police. He emphasised that coercive control is hard to prove except retrospectively. He advocates for long-term support for survivors. Luke now lives in West London with his son, and he and Ryan continue to care for Bella, one of the family dogs. He has found solace in Christian faith and says he has finally found peace after a painful ten years.
Understanding Coercive Control
Coercive control, a term coined by Professor Evan Stark in 2007, involves establishing the price of resistance in the victim's mind and may not include physical violence. It was made a criminal offence in England and Wales in 2015. In the year ending March 2025, more than 45,500 people were convicted, nearly all men. Research shows coercive control is a stronger indicator of domestic homicide risk than physical violence. For help, contact Refuge and Women's Aid.
