The Ossett Possession and Murder

The 1974 Ossett case represents one of the most disturbing outcomes of an exorcism in modern British history. Michael Taylor, believed by his Christian fellowship group to be possessed by demons, underwent an all-night exorcism. Hours after the ritual ended, he murdered his wife in an act of extraordinary violence. The case led to renewed debate about the practice of exorcism.

The Background

Michael Taylor was a butcher living in Ossett, Yorkshire, with his wife Christine and their five children. In 1974, he became involved with a local Christian fellowship group led by Marie Robinson. His intense emotional connection with Robinson alarmed his wife and other group members.

During a group meeting, Taylor became agitated and began behaving erratically. He blasphemed, made sexual comments, and exhibited what the group interpreted as demonic behavior. The group contacted local Anglican clergy to perform an exorcism.

The Exorcism

On October 5, 1974, a team of clergy including Methodist minister Peter Vincent and Anglican priest Raymond Smith conducted an all-night exorcism at St. Thomas’s Church in Gawber. The ritual lasted from approximately 9 PM until 6 AM.

During the exorcism, the clergy claimed to have expelled forty demons from Taylor, including demons of pride, insanity, and murder. However, they admitted they had not had time to cast out three remaining demons, including the demon of murder, before Taylor’s wife arrived to take him home.

The Murder

Within hours of returning home, Taylor attacked his wife Christine with extraordinary savagery. He tore out her eyes and tongue, ripped off most of her face, and strangled their family poodle. When police found him wandering the streets naked and covered in blood, he reportedly said, “It is the blood of Satan.”

The Trial

Taylor was charged with murder but found not guilty by reason of insanity. The jury accepted that he was suffering from a psychotic episode at the time of the killing. He was committed to Broadmoor psychiatric hospital.

The case generated intense media attention and prompted the Church of England to issue guidelines requiring medical consultation before any exorcism.