The Possession of Michael Taylor

The case of Michael Taylor is one of the most disturbing possession cases in British history, culminating in a brutal murder immediately following an exorcism that raised serious questions about the intersection of religious practice and mental health.

Background

Michael Taylor was a 31-year-old butcher from Ossett, West Yorkshire, England. He was described as a devoted family man with no history of violence. In 1974, he and his wife Christine became involved with a local Christian fellowship group.

The troubles began when Taylor developed an intense relationship with the group’s leader, Marie Robinson, a young lay preacher. Christine Taylor noticed a change in her husband’s behavior and confronted him about his feelings for Marie.

The Onset

Following confrontations about his relationship with Marie Robinson, Michael Taylor began exhibiting increasingly bizarre behavior:

• Violent outbursts and uncontrollable rage
• Speaking in strange voices
• Claiming to be possessed by evil spirits
• Exhibiting superhuman strength during episodes
• Extreme mood swings from aggression to terror
• Making animalistic sounds and contorting his body

Members of the fellowship group became convinced that Taylor was possessed by demons and arranged for an exorcism to be performed.

The Exorcism

On the night of October 5-6, 1974, a group of clergy and fellowship members gathered at St. Thomas’s Church in Gawber to perform an exorcism on Michael Taylor. The ritual lasted through the entire night - approximately seven hours.

The exorcism team included:

• Father Peter Vincent (Anglican vicar)
• Reverend Raymond Smith (Methodist minister)
• Several fellowship members

During the all-night session, the group claimed to have expelled 40 demons from Taylor, including spirits of insanity, murder, violence, and bestiality. However, as dawn approached and the exhausted group concluded the ritual, they admitted that at least three demons remained: those of murder, violence, and insanity.

The clergy reportedly told Taylor to “go in peace” despite acknowledging these demons had not been expelled.

The Murder

Within hours of leaving the church, Michael Taylor returned home and brutally murdered his wife Christine. He tore out her eyes and tongue with his bare hands and strangled her to death. He also killed the family dog.

When police found Taylor wandering the streets naked and covered in blood, he simply said, “It’s the blood of Satan.”

Trial and Aftermath

Michael Taylor was arrested and charged with murder. At his trial, psychiatrists testified that he was suffering from acute psychosis. Taylor was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was committed to Broadmoor Hospital, a high-security psychiatric facility.

He was eventually released in the 1980s after being deemed no longer a danger to the public.

The Inquest

A subsequent investigation examined the role of the exorcism in the tragedy. Critics argued that:

• The all-night ritual may have exacerbated Taylor’s mental state
• The religious framework reinforced his delusions
• The clergy irresponsibly told him he still harbored demons of murder before releasing him
• Medical intervention should have been sought instead of religious ritual

Legal and Religious Impact

The case led to:

• The Church of England revising its exorcism protocols
• A 1975 report requiring any exorcism to involve medical and psychiatric consultation
• Greater scrutiny of charismatic religious practices
• Ongoing debates about the responsibility of religious leaders in mental health crises

Legacy

The Michael Taylor case remains one of the most cited examples of the potential dangers of treating mental illness through religious ritual rather than medical intervention. It continues to be studied in both religious and psychological contexts as a cautionary tale about the intersection of faith and mental health.

The case was dramatized in the 2021 film “A Wounded Fawn” and continues to be referenced in discussions about exorcism practices and their regulation.