'Vampires' jailed for harassing vicar

Two self-proclaimed vampires have been jailed for waging a three-month campaign of religious harassment against a vicar and his family.

Scott Bower and Benjamin Lewis were found guilty after a trial at Southampton Crown Court of the harassment of the Rev Christopher Rowberry, his wife Karen and children Hannah, 15, and Simon, 17.

The pair were joined in the latter part of the harassment by Lewis's 19-year-old girlfriend, Natalie Gibson.

Judge John Boggis QC sentenced Lewis, 25, of Kinross Road, Totton, Hampshire, to 12 months' imprisonment and Bower, 26, of School Road, Eling, Totton, to six months.

Gibson, also of Kinross Road, who is six months pregnant with Lewis's child, was given a three-month jail sentence suspended for 12 months.

The judge described how Lewis was the ring leader of the harassment campaign and was responsible for making obscene telephone calls to the vicar's family which included "howling noises", screeching sounds and mechanical laughing.

He also placed "truly disgusting" images on the noticeboards of St Mary The Virgin Church in Eling Hill, Totton.

Judge Boggis told Lewis: "This is a case of repeated victimisation of a man who showed you tolerance and understanding, the effect of which was to drive a wedge of fear into his family. The distress of his wife was clear for all to see."

The court heard that Lewis had an "unshakeable belief" that he was a vampire and was undergoing psychiatric treatment.

Judge Boggis added: "You knew full well what you were doing, that it was bound to cause distress, and you were conducting this campaign expressly because your target was a vicar, and what makes your case so particularly serious is that you used your influence on others less able to stand up to you to cause them to put into effect many of your ideas of harassment."

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