Animal Carcasses Dumped Outside New Forest Churches
A 47‑year‑old Southampton man pleaded guilty for leaving decapitated animal remains outside multiple Christian churches in a series of acts which have been classified religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm, or distress.
Benjamin Lewis, 47, of Totton, Southampton, pleaded guilty at Southampton Crown Court to seven offenses involving the placement of a decapitated deer’s head and lamb carcasses outside several Christian churches in the New Forest in Hampshire between February 5 and April 29, as well as to stealing lambs from two local residents and committing five counts of religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm, or distress.
According to police and court evidence, the remains were discovered at Christ’s Church in Colbury, St Peter’s Church in Bramshaw, St Theresa’s Church in Totton, and Christ Church in Emery Down, and Lewis admitted displaying a sign hostile toward a religious group. Hampshire Police described the acts as “disturbing,” with Chief Inspector Scott Johnson stating that the incidents “have been upsetting for those who discovered them and will be concerning for our wider community.” The case was linked by investigators to a broader pattern of suspected ritual or cult‑related animal killings reported in the New Forest in prior years. Lewis was remanded in custody pending sentencing on February 4.
Source: Daily Mail
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