A man has been arrested in the New Forest region of England for stealing animals from farmers, drinking their blood and leaving the bodies near local churches, believing that this would make him an immortal vampire.
This is reported by The Guardian.
Dead lambs stolen from farms and deer killed on the roads have been found near churches in the region. In one case, the body of a lamb was left on a cross on the roof of a church, in another, near a statue of the Virgin Mary. Another carcass was placed on a church cross.
These actions frightened local residents — some parishioners stopped attending churches where animal bodies were found, others were afraid to go out alone at night and even considered moving out of the New Forest.
Law enforcement officers noticed a pattern in the suspectʼs actions, so they even checked satanic calendars and posted patrols near churches on dates when he might reappear. The detainee turned out to be 48-year-old Benjamin Lewis.
The man had a previous conviction for stalking a priest and his family, claiming to be a vampire. During the search, drawings of vampires, records of rituals, and notes related to blood drinking were seized from him.
According to the investigation, Lewis was convinced that drinking blood would prolong his life, save him from hell and turn him into a vampire. During one of the court hearings, the man refused to give his real name and introduced himself as "Count Dracula".
Gaurav Malhan, a psychiatrist involved in the case, said the suspect has complex mental health issues and was recently transferred from a low-security hospital to a medium-security facility. The court ordered Lewis to be held in a specialized medical facility.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.