Man Claiming To Be Count Dracula Just Landed in a Secure Hospital After His Obsession With Drinking Blood Terrorized Local Parishes
Trail of fear.
Benjamin Lewis, the man who once told a court he was Count Dracula, has been detained in a secure hospital after leaving animal corpses outside churches in the New Forest. According to The Guardian, the 48-year-old from Totton, Southampton, believed drinking blood would make him immortal and keep him out of hell. His bizarre campaign of dumping dead sheep and deer at ecclesiastical sites left parishioners terrified and farmers outraged.
Lewis was finally caught after police found his DNA on a lamb’s remains. He admitted to causing religiously aggravated harassment and theft, crimes that spanned from February to August last year. The case had taken a surreal turn when he identified himself as Count Dracula during an earlier court appearance.
Judge William Mousley KC has now ordered his detention for treatment. This means he’ll stay in hospital until a mental health tribunal or the justice secretary deems him safe for release. The investigation into Lewis’s activities began when dead animals started appearing at churches in Hampshire.
The police identified a pattern
Lewis’ attacks coincided with significant dates in the satanic calendar. Officers were deployed to monitor churches on those nights, a strategy that eventually led to his arrest. PC Jessica Surman, who worked the case, called it the most unusual she’d ever handled. “It’s one where you think you have reached the end of the bizarreness and then something else happens and throws a curveball into the mix,” she said.
Lewis’s belief system was rooted in a twisted interpretation of vampirism. According to Surman, he thought drinking blood would grant him eternal life and spare him from damnation. His actions weren’t just random. They were calculated to instill fear.
Lambs and deer were left in disturbing displays, sometimes with inverted crosses or tarot cards nearby. One lamb was placed on a cross atop a church, another near a statue of the Virgin Mary, and a third in a pulpit. Children who witnessed these scenes were deeply distressed. At one point, several lambs were stolen from a farm. Some of these were later found dead at Christ Church, Colbury, and at St Theresa’s Church, Totton.
The psychological toll on the community has been severe
One woman was too afraid to visit her son’s grave at a targeted church. A vicar described the acts as an “insidious way to make a point,” while a churchgoer called the messages “sadistic.” A church warden said she felt constantly on edge, convinced Lewis was trying to spread fear. Even a mental health facility near his home wasn’t spared – a deer’s head and an inverted cross were left on its gates, shocking staff.
Farmers whose livestock Lewis stole were equally shaken. Myra Noyce, one of his victims, called the thefts “a terrible thing.” Sarah Harrison, another farmer, said the incidents left her too scared to walk alone at night. “I’m wondering what will it be next,” she said. “When I hear a sound outside, I think, is that him?” The lambs he slaughtered suffered, and their bodies were displayed as if they meant nothing.
Lewis’s obsession with the occult wasn’t new. Police found sketches of vampires, ritual notes, and references to blood-drinking in his home. He also had a suitcase filled with laminated newspaper clippings about similar crimes, some dating back to 2003. That year, he was jailed for terrorizing a vicar and his family, making abusive calls, setting off fireworks, and posting obscene images on a church noticeboard. His behavior had only grown more extreme since.
Lewis has a history of violence against animals
A consultant psychiatrist, Dr. Gauruv Malhan, told the court Lewis has “complex mental health difficulties” and could escalate to harming humans. In the hospital, he’s already assaulted other patients and tried to attack Malhan during a visit.
His history of violence against animals – starting with a dead frog on a church cross at age 13 – suggests a disturbing trajectory. Andrew Price, his defense lawyer, said Lewis recognizes he did wrong and is sorry, but the damage he’s caused is irreversible.
The New Forest, where Lewis carried out his campaign, has long been a hotspot for occult lore. The area is steeped in tales of witches, pixies, and rituals, and even today, it attracts those drawn to the supernatural. The village of Burley was once home to Sybil Leek, a famous “white witch” who wrote books on witchcraft. But Lewis’s actions were merely cruel and calculated.
Police persistence paid off in the end
By tracking satanic calendar dates and deploying officers to churches on high-risk nights, they built a case strong enough to detain him. PC Surman hopes the community can now rest easier, though the scars left by Lewis’s reign of terror will linger. For the farmers who lost livestock and the parishioners too afraid to visit their churches, the ordeal has been traumatic.
Lewis’s detention in a secure hospital means he won’t be released until authorities are certain he’s no longer a threat. Given his history, that could be a long time. His case is a stark reminder of how deeply delusions can warp reality and pose a danger. The New Forest’s eerie reputation may draw those fascinated by the occult, but Lewis’s crimes have nothing to do with folklore. They’re the actions of a disturbed mind, one that left a trail of fear in its wake.
(Featured image: Hassocks5489)
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
