A self-described vampire who left dead animals on display outside churches was caught when police staked out places of worship on full moon nights.
Benjamin Lewis, 48, killed deer and stolen lambs then dumped their bodies at four churches around Hampshire between February and August last year.
He arranged the corpses in macabre displays, with a deer’s head found with an inverted cross at one church and a lamb placed on a light fixture below a statue of Mary at another.
Lewis, who drank blood and once gave his name in court as ‘Count Dracula’, also ‘left his signature’ by placing a tarot card on a dead deer’s head at a church at Easter.
He was given an indefinite hospital order at Southampton Crown Court yesterday having admitted five counts of religious aggravated intentional harassment and two counts of theft.
PC Jessica Surman, who led the police investigation into Lewis’s spree, described the case as ‘the most bizarre’ she has ever worked on.
She said Lewis believes he is a ‘reincarnated vampire’ and revealed officers patrolled churches on full moon nights to catch him.
PC Surman said he believes drinking blood will prolong his life and ‘if he drinks it enough he won’t go to hell, he won’t die and he will become a vampire’.
Of his motives, she added: ‘From my knowledge, it was his belief that he would get energy from drinking the blood of animals and there’s lots of Satanic symbols around it.’
The court heard Lewis’ spree left locals in the New Forest fearing for themselves and their animals.
He was first arrested in May 2025, and animal blood was found in his vehicle.
Tarot cards were also found in his bedroom at home and when interviewed he ‘appeared distracted’.
Lewis was arrested for a second time in September 2025 and items found at his address included sketches of vampires and dead sheep, newspaper cuttings relating to death, satanic symbols, upside down crosses and pictures of people sucking blood from each other.
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Laura Deuxberry, prosecuting, said the people who found the dead animal parts had been ‘distressed and disturbed’, and the owner of some of the stolen lambs had considered moving from her farm where she had lived all of her life.
She said by targeting churches, Lewis had caused upset to congregations and added: ‘It’s meant to be a place of sanctuary but unfortunately these incidents caused them to be fearful of going to their sanctuaries.’
Ms Deuxberry said he was treated at mental health service Anchor House in Totton, which deals with vulnerable patients, and that staff there feared that he might return after they found a deer’s head on their gate and an inverted cross – which had been left there in the early hours.
Staff at Anchor House said they ‘feared’ making a statement as it might ‘add fuel to the fire’.
Another incident saw a lamb left on a tree stump and an inverted cross near Christchurch in Colbury.
The reverend at St Theresa’s Church said that this was ‘an insidious way to make a point but what the point is I don’t know’.
A further incident at St Peter’s Church saw Lewis leave a Tarot card on a deer’s head at around Easter time.
The deer was ‘crawling with maggots’ which was swiftly moved to reduce distress from passersby.
In February 2025, Reverend David Potterton at Christ’s Church Emery Down found the head of the deer in the pulpit and an inverted cross – which had to be disposed of because of the stains.
Dr Gauruv Malhan, a consultant forensic psychiatrist, told the court he believed Lewis had autism, mixed personality disorder, OCD, a possible mild learning disorder and had ‘fantastical thinking patterns’.
He said that during an assessment Lewis had tried to assault him and had to be restrained and secluded.
Dr Malhan highlighted Lewis’ history of self-harm and suicidality and said that there is a ‘risk of escalation from harming animals to harming humans as well’.
Sentencing, Judge William Mousley KC said: ‘You killed, maimed and disfigured animals and displayed parts of their bodies.
‘What is clear that these offences taken together would justify a substantial period of imprisonment.
‘That is clear before taking into consideration his previous convictions which, although a long time ago, demonstrate worrying similar behaviour.’
Lewis will be subject to the hospital order to receive treatment until a further ruling by either a mental health tribunal or the Secretary of State.
Following sentencing, Lewis said: ‘I would just like to apologise to the victims because they said they worried about me. I don’t want people to worry about me.
‘I want to say to the police that I don’t have any grudges towards you either.’
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