Blood-drinking satanist who believes he is a vampire and slit throats of animals to leave them at churches is detained

A SATANIST who believes he is a vampire has been detained after raiding farms and leaving “maimed and disfigured” dead animals at churches. Benjamin Lewis, 48, calls himself ‘Count Dracula’ and drinks blood, believing it will prolong his life. Benjamin Lewis, outside Southampton Crown Court in 2003, appeared in court again today Credit: Solent He dumped a lamb on a signpost in the New Forest Credit: Solent Today, Southampton Crown Court heard how Lewis left people in the New Forest, Hampshire horrified by killing farm animals in the middle of the night by slitting their throats from February to August 2025. The demented man killed and mutilated the bodies of deers and lambs before dumping them in and around churches – and even “left his signature” by placing a tarot card on a dead deer’s head at a church at Easter. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Lewis also left a deer’s head on the gate outside of vulnerable adult accommodation, called Anchor House in Totton, in which he had previously stayed. The staff there were terrified that he might return after they made the gruesome discovery along with an inverted cross – which had been left there in the early hours. He left a decapitated deer’s head outside St Theresa’s Church in Totton Credit: Solent Lewis is a Satanist who believes he is a vampire and even drinks blood Credit: Solent The court heard that during one depraved incident in April 2025, five-to-ten day-old lambs, costing £180 each, belonging to Sarah Harrison from Parsonage Farm in Lyndhurst had their necks cut and then hung from a flagpole at St Peter’s Church. Harrison, a local farmer whose family had lived in the New Forest for generations, said she considered moving away because she thought “if he can do that then what else can he do?” In another stomach-churning incident, a lamb was 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”. Most read in The Sun The court heard that Lewis also left items including crosses and sausages around the church site which left the congregation feeling like they were being sent a “sadistic message”. A further incident at St Peter’s Church saw the sicko leave a Tarot card on a deer’s head, which was “crawling with maggots”, at around Easter time which the rector described as a “no no”. The rector said: “It symbolises the opposition. It felt like a low blow. Like he was leaving his signature.” 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. Laura Deuxberry, prosecuting, said: “The church is supposed to be a place of sanctuary and this made people fear going to their sanctuary.” Lewis was first arrested in May 2025, with animal blood found in his vehicle and tarot cards discovered in his bedroom at home, and he was arrested again in September 2025 with Satanic symbols found in his home. Police told the court that he drank blood of animals that he slaughtered because he thinks he’ll live forever, and previously told a judge his name is ‘Count Dracula’. Items including sketches of vampires and dead sheep, newspaper cuttings relating to death, Satanic symbols, upside down crosses were found in his house. The court heard that Lewis had a “fascination with vampires” from a young age and was in a vampire cult with other members – whom he would regularly meet up with so they could drink each other’s blood. Aged 13 he left a dead frog on a cross in a church and in 2003 Lewis was jailed for 12 months for terrorising a vicar and his family by claiming to be a vampire, it was also heard. Dr Gauruv Malhan, a consultant forensic psychiatrist, told the court that 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. He 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, who appeared in court via video link wearing a black suit, was given an indefinite hospital order for his spate of animal offences and admitted five counts of religious aggravated intentional harassment and two counts of theft. 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.” PC Jessica Surman, of Hampshire Constabulary, described the case as “the most bizarre” she has ever worked on. She 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. “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.”