Bournemouth Echo
·Aug 2026
'Vampire cult' man sentenced after dumping dead lambs in New Forest
Benjamin Lewis, 48, was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court after pleading guilty to five religiously aggravated harassment offences and two theft charges involving dead lambs and deer heads placed at churches, a mental health facility and road signs across the New Forest. The incidents distressed vulnerable residents, farmers and schoolchildren. A forensic psychiatrist said Lewis has autism, personality disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and learning difficulties, alongside a longstanding fascination with vampirism and a past involvement in a blood-drinking cult. The judge imposed a hospital order with restrictions, meaning Lewis will remain detained for treatment until a mental health tribunal or the Justice Secretary authorises his release.