The Cardiff Poltergeist

In 1989, a small lawn mower repair shop in Cardiff, Wales became the site of remarkable poltergeist activity. The case, investigated by the Society for Psychical Research, featured phenomena witnessed by multiple credible observers including a skeptical professor who came to debunk the claims.

The Setting

The disturbances occurred at John’s Enterprises, a lawn mower repair and sales business located in a light industrial area of Cardiff. The proprietor, John Matthews, ran the shop with several employees. The building was a single-story commercial structure, unremarkable in every way.

Matthews was a practical businessman with no interest in the paranormal. When strange things began happening in his shop, his first assumption was that someone was playing elaborate pranks.

Initial Phenomena

The activity began in the spring of 1989 with small incidents. Tools would disappear from where workers had left them and reappear in unusual locations. Bolts and screws would scatter across work surfaces when no one was near. The workers initially blamed each other.

The phenomena escalated to more dramatic events. Heavy objects moved by themselves. A lawn mower engine block, weighing over fifty pounds, was found on the opposite side of the shop from where it had been stored. No one had seen it move, but no one could have moved it without being noticed.

Stone Throwing

The most distinctive aspect of the Cardiff case was the stone throwing. Rocks and pebbles pelted the exterior of the building and, more remarkably, appeared inside the shop. The stones seemed to come from impossible angles and sometimes fell straight down as if dropped from the ceiling.

The interior stone falls were particularly puzzling. Workers would see stones appear in mid-air and drop to the floor. The stones were warm to the touch, a detail reported in other poltergeist cases. They seemed to materialize rather than enter through any normal means.

Professional Investigation

The Society for Psychical Research sent investigators to examine the case. David Fontana, a professor of psychology at the University of Cardiff, became the lead investigator. Fontana approached the case as a skeptic, expecting to find evidence of hoaxing.

Fontana spent considerable time at the shop, observing and documenting. He witnessed phenomena he could not explain. Stones fell in his presence. Objects moved when no one was near them. His attempts to catch the workers in fraud were unsuccessful.

In one notable incident, Fontana placed stones in a specific pattern on a shelf and monitored them. Later, the stones had rearranged themselves, though no one had approached the shelf. He documented the pattern before and after, ruling out misremembering.

The Focus

Investigation suggested that the phenomena centered on a particular employee, a young man named Pete. The activity was most intense when Pete was present and diminished when he was absent. This pattern is typical of poltergeist cases.

Pete denied any involvement in producing the phenomena. He appeared genuinely frightened by what was happening. Fontana found no evidence that Pete was consciously staging events, though he could not rule out unconscious agency.

Pete had been experiencing personal difficulties at the time, including relationship problems and financial stress. Fontana noted that emotional turmoil is often associated with poltergeist outbreaks, suggesting a possible psychological component.

Witness Reports

Multiple witnesses reported phenomena at the shop. Customers saw objects move. Delivery drivers witnessed stones falling. The consistency of reports from independent observers strengthened the case.

One delivery man reported that while unloading supplies, he saw a large rock strike the ground beside him. Looking up, he saw no one who could have thrown it. He refused to make further deliveries to the shop.

Attempts at Explanation

Fontana systematically ruled out normal explanations. The building was examined for structural issues that might cause objects to fall. The possibility of vibrations from nearby machinery was investigated. Nothing explained the phenomena.

The stone throwing was particularly resistant to normal explanation. The stones appeared inside a sealed building. They fell from areas where no one could have hidden. They bore no fingerprints suggesting recent handling.

Resolution

The phenomena continued throughout much of 1989 before gradually diminishing. As often happens in poltergeist cases, the activity faded without dramatic conclusion. The shop returned to normal operations.

Pete eventually left his employment at the shop. Whether his departure was related to the phenomena or coincidental is unknown. After he left, no further disturbances were reported.

Documentation

David Fontana published a detailed account of the case in the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research. His report, carefully documented and cautiously worded, concluded that the phenomena appeared genuine and defied conventional explanation.

Fontana remained involved in parapsychological research until his death in 2010. He continued to cite the Cardiff case as one of the most compelling he had investigated, an example of poltergeist phenomena occurring in circumstances that made fraud extremely difficult.

Significance

The Cardiff Poltergeist case is notable for the quality of its investigation and documentation. Fontana’s academic credentials and initial skepticism lend weight to his conclusions. The commercial setting and multiple independent witnesses make coordinated hoaxing unlikely.

The case contributes to the body of evidence suggesting that poltergeist phenomena, whatever their ultimate explanation, represent genuine events worthy of serious study.