PEDALLING along the scenic rolling fields with her boyfriend, Eva Komuves felt like she’d hit the jackpot.
For Robert Lorn McLuckie, 47, was everything she wanted in a man.
To Eva, 49, he seemed handsome, outdoorsy and charming.
Only, it turns out, it was all an act.
The reality was that McLuckie was nothing but a violent, cheating brute.
During their relationship , the thug, who went by his middle-name Lorn, inflicted savage assaults on Eva, leaving her with a broken nose, black eyes and in his final attack -broke her jaw, knocking out her front teeth.
In the months that followed, while she nursed her horrific injuries, Eva discovered her once ‘perfect’ partner was dating multiple women while in a relationship with her.
In March this year, McLuckie pleaded guilty to unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
He was jailed for 15 months, with an additional 15 to be served on licence.
Now, Eva, who requires further dental surgery costing £12,000, is bravely speaking out to raise awareness of domestic abuse.
The massage therapist, from Belfast , says: “Lorn tried to destroy me.
“He constantly gaslighted me when I suspected him of seeing other women.
“I walked on eggshells around him and he chipped away at my self-esteem until there was nothing left.
“Slowly, though, I’m getting the smile back on my face.”
Eva met McLuckie in May 2019 after connecting on a dating website.
For their first date they went on a hike up Cave Hill in Belfast for their first date, as like Eva, McLuckie was outdoorsy and loved nature.
She remembers: “We shared our first kiss, went on long bike rides and talked for hours.
“He even wrote me romantic poems, too.”
Three weeks later, McLuckie moved in with Eva after claiming he had nowhere to live.
Within days, she says she noticed his persona change.
Eva says: “He became grumpy and would make snide remarks.
“He told me he didn’t like me wearing shorts and that I should ‘dress my age’.”
Eva claims that if she woke early to practice yoga, McLuckie complained if she made any noise.
She says she began using candles and tip-toeing around her own home.
Soon after, he started checking her phone and demanded she cancel male clients.
Then, in summer 2021, after two years together, a friend phoned Eva, claiming she’d seen McLuckie on a dating website.
Eva recalls: “She sent me a screenshot of his profile and I felt sick.
“I confronted Lorn then and there, but he said he’d been hacked.
“Yet when he gave me his phone to check, I saw a ‘welcome back’ message pop up on the dating site.
Agony shot through my face as I heard a crack and felt a bone break, like my teeth were detaching
Eva Komuves
“So he changed his story, claiming he was only on it to check I wasn’t using it.”
Days later, Eva pressed McLuckie for answers and he flew into a rage.
She says: “He punched me twice in the face.
“Blood spurted from my nose as I felt it squelch.
“The next day I had a black eye and my nose was throbbing.”
After attending A&E at Ulster Hospital, an X-ray confirmed Eva had a broken nose and she had to have it reset.
Back home, McLuckie grovelled. Eva forgave him but his dark moods soon returned with Eva claiming her would constantly pick arguments.
Two years on, in August 2023, McLuckie attacked Eva again when she asked him to make her a drink.
She explains: “When he refused I moaned at him that his mood swings were exhausting.
“He grabbed me by the arms and punched me with so much force, I fell back into a kitchen cupboard.
“Agony shot through my face as I heard a crack and felt a bone break, like my teeth were detaching.
“Blood filled my mouth as I looked in the hallway mirror.”
Eva’s front teeth were broken and hanging out of her mouth.
She says: “I told Lorn he’d ruined my life and he scoffed ‘you can thank yourself’.
“I was horrified.”
Eva called 999 and soon paramedics and the police arrived.
She was rushed to Ulster Hospital and taken for X-rays which revealed she had a broken upper jaw and palate.
She was told that her facial injury was commonly seen in car crash victims.
Eva gave her statement to officers and McLuckie was arrested.
She says: “My mouth was so crooked and misshapen, and I had to wait two days for an op to fix the damage.
Domestic abuse - how to get help
DOMESTIC abuse can affect anyone - including men - and does not always involve physical violence.
Here are some signs that you could be in an abusive relationship:
- Emotional abuse – Including being belittled, blamed for the abuse – gaslighting – being isolated from family and friends, having no control over your finances, what you where and who you speak to
- Threats and intimidation – Some partners might threaten to kill or hurt you, destroy your belongings, stalk or harass you
- Physical abuse – This can range from slapping or hitting to being shoved over, choked or bitten.
- Sexual abuse – Being touched in a way you do not want to be touched, hurt during sex, pressured into sex or forced to have sex when you do not consent.
If any of the above apply to you or a friend, you can call these numbers:
- The Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge on 0808 2000 247 for free at any time, day or night
- Men who are being abused can call Respect Men’s Advice Line on 0808 8010 327 or ManKind on 0182 3334 244
- Those who identify as LGBT+ can ring Galop on 0800 999 5428
- If you are in immediate danger or fear for your life, always ring 999
Remember, you are not alone.
1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic abuse over the course of their lifetime.
Every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse.
“Surgeons eventually repaired my upper jaw and fixed my teeth into a metal splint to pull them back into place.
“It was a long, painful recovery.”
For months, Eva couldn’t eat solids and was forced to drink and eat liquidised food through a straw.
She was warned she may never regain her smile.
Meanwhile, she struggled to cope with the trauma of what McLuckie had done.
With the support of Women’s Aid and Victim Support, Eva realised she’d been a victim of coercive control.
She underwent therapy but still suffered nerve damage and nightmares, as well as vertigo which caused dizziness and sickness.
She says: “I became a shadow of my former self and rarely went out.”
Then, in January 2024, Eva’s friend told her about a Facebook group called ‘Are We Dating The Same Guy?’
With her friend’s encouragement Eva posted a photo of McLukie to find out whether any other women had been in contact with him.
Eva recalls: “One comment appeared after another.
“In total, 35 women replied, claiming they’d been seeing him too, some at the same time he was with me.
Lorn made me believe he was Prince Charming. But he’s nothing but a brute
Eva Komuves
“He’s nothing but a liar and violent bully.”
On 25th March McLuckie admitted the two brutal assaults at Belfast Crown Court and was jailed for two years and six months. He will serve 15 months in custody and 15 months on licence.
Now Eva is rebuilding her life, and looking to the future.
Eva says: “I thought Lorn loved me.
“Now, looking back, he was a master manipulator.
“He seems to hate women because the way he treats them is horrific.
“Now I want other women to know abusive relationships rarely start with a punch.
“It begins with belittling comments and gaslighting.
“Lorn made me believe he was Prince Charming. But he’s nothing but a brute.”
