Monk pleads guilty to harassing lesbian witches

A monk has pleaded guilty to harassment after getting into a war of words with a pair of lesbian witches. Damon Kelly, 53, from a Catholic group calling themselves the Black Hermits, delivers leaflets campaigning against homosexuality and other things he regards as sins. When a lesbian couple living in Leicester, received his leaflet one of them stopped Kelly further down the street and confronted him and tried to hand him back the leaflet.



Describing the confrontation at Leicester Magistrates' Court on Thursday, prosecutor Nigel Chapman said Kelly, who was dressed in black monk's robes, told the woman, "keep it, urinate on it, defecate on it". The woman's partner joined her outside and defended the couple's sexuality and pagan beliefs. The court heard both parties were quoting scripture at other. Mr Chapman said an "aggressive and fanatical" Kelly told the women: "You know we used to burn people like you. I'm doing God's work."

The court heard that 15 days later, on October 29 last year, Kelly returned to their home and posted a letter addressed "To the witches from the monk" which described "witches, gays, lesbians and sex-changers" as being part of the "devil's madness". Mr Chapman said one of the women suffered heart palpitations while reading the letter. He said: "She felt she was being targeted by the defendant." Kevin Sayce, defending Kelly, said his client had never aimed to confront the women. Mr Sayce said: "He picks areas and delivers leaflets.



"It was one of the females that approached Damon Kelly and he defended his opinion as he's had to on numerous occasions. Following their disclosures of their practice as witches, Damon Kelly returned - not to seek out a confrontation but to post the letter that put forward his beliefs on pursuing such desires and such acts. His motive, his calling, is to target the sin and not the sinner." Kelly, of St Patrick's Church in Corby, has taken vows of poverty and chastity. District Judge Tim Daber said a fine would not be suitable and ordered the case be adjourned for three weeks to assess whether Kelly was fit for unpaid work. Kelly was released on bail with the condition not to deliver any leaflets.