A practicing Druid witch in England found himself on the receiving end of an odd attack after his neighbors got fed up with the noise from his frequent rituals. According to an account in the British media, the Pagan in question, John Bennett, was celebrating the full moon with a ceremony in his backyard when the fracas unfolded. It began with neighbor Mark Denyer shouting at him to, presumably, lower the volume of his drum beating and chanting during the ritual.
Apparently, Denyer did not receive the response he'd hoped for as he and his wife, Anne, then went to Bennett's house and, police say, they were looking for a fight. It would seem that this was a spur of the moment act of aggression as Anne was armed with only an umbrella. Nonetheless, she repeatedly whacked the witch in the head with it. Her husband, meanwhile, wielded a carving knife and actually tried to stab Bennett, but the attack proved futile thanks to the Druid's prodigious belly which shielded him from harm.
The bizarre November incident was ultimately settled in court this past week, where the Denyers were found guilty of 'unlawful wounding,' but received a suspended sentence and community service. The somewhat understandable circumstances that sparked the attack as well as the couple's good standing in the community were reasons cited by the judge for the relatively light punishment. One can't help but appreciate the irony of their "moment of madness," as their defense attorney called it, occurring on the full moon, when such strange situation often seem to take place.
While the Denyers may wish to take a pass, Coast Insiders can learn much more about life as a Druid and the magical world of England by checking out the 11/20/2010 edition of Coast to Coast AM featuring Philip Carr-Gomm. Not a Coast Insider yet? Sign up today.