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A Co Clare man who told Gardaí he performed a series of exorcisms on his then-girlfriend was acquitted of assaulting her.
Shane Gibbons (48) told the Killaloe District Court, sitting in Ennis, that the injuries caused to his then-girlfriend may have been caused by demonic possession or self-harm “but they were not caused by me.”
Mr. Gibbons of Ballynagleragh, Ogonnelloe in East Clare denied the charge of assault causing injury to the woman at her home on August 17, 2019.
In dismissing the charge, Judge Patrick Durcan said that Mr. Gibbons’ defense and version of events related to the occult, exorcisms, and demonic possession should have been further explored by the state.
The judge also said that he considered the complainant “not too exaggerated” during questioning. He noted that she remained silent when asked about unexplained injuries she had previously sustained, which had allowed Gibbons to take photos.
Mr. Gibbons’s attorney, Daragh Hassett, read a text sent by the plaintiff in the past to Mr. Gibbons that read: “I am very pleased. I knew I needed the exorcism. “
When questioned by Mr. Hassett, the woman denied that she was possessed by demons. When asked to comment on the text message, he told the court that what happened was not an exorcism.
When asked about the unexplained bruises on her body in the photos Mr. Gibbons had previously taken, the complainant said: “I don’t know what caused the bruises.”
Judge Durcan said there were “so many contentious and unsatisfactory aspects” to the case that he was “not satisfied with convicting.”
It found that Mr. Gibbons held the plaintiff by the shoulder overnight, but did so in circumstances where there was no intention to cause any harm.
In her evidence, the Co Limerick woman said Gibbons put her on her back and pinned her to the bed in the bedroom of her home in the early hours of August 17, 2019.
Bruises
She alleged that Mr. Gibbons continued to shake her “forever.” He said his upper body was bruised along with bruises on his thighs, wrists, face and neck. He called Gardaí when he came out of the bedroom. The two were together for three years and their relationship ended that night, the court heard.
Garda Darren McLoughlin said that when the Gardaí arrived at the home, the complainant was very distraught. She allowed Gardaí to take photos of the bruises and they were shown in court.
The garda said that when Mr. Gibbons was shown the photos, he claimed that his then partner was possessed by demons and had performed exorcisms on him.
In his statement, Gibbons said that he showed Garda McLoughlin a video of him performing an exorcism on the plaintiff in 2016. He also provided a photo of her being attacked by a “demonic entity” in 2016. The photo showed scrapes on her buttocks. and ribs.
Gibbons told Gardaí that an “exceptional evil entity was using its own abilities for its own purpose. He was able to perform tasks and use his ability for dark purposes. He could take control of her at will and strike up a conversation with me, sometimes in Latin. “
Demonic influences
She also told Gardaí that when the woman was depressed, she was “particularly vulnerable to demonic influences” and could be “pulled out of bed and physically assaulted for hours.” He said that when he trusted his family “they expressed considerable concern that if any of these entities managed to cause his death, they would inevitably point the finger at me.”
When asked by Judge Durcan to comment on the video of Mr. Gibbons’ ‘exorcism’, Garda McLoughlin stated: “There is something there watching the video. It’s very, very strange and you see her scratching herself. “
Mr. Hassett said that in the video the complainant appears to be in a trance state and incessantly scratches her wrists.
When asked by the judge if he accepted that the woman “had been possessed by demonic force,” Garda McLoughlin said that “I wouldn’t believe those things, but it’s a very strange case.
He said photos of the author’s injuries from 2016 and August last year “would show similar injuries.”
As direct evidence, Gibbons denied any assault in August 2019. He said that at one point he got a pastor to say a prayer for the plaintiff while they were still together. “I know she doesn’t speak Latin, but I got Latin text messages from her,” he said.
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