Self-styled ‘witchfinder’ orders Jesus to kill her neighbour

A pensioner accused of chanting ‘death by fire’ to a neighbour she believed to be a witch was ordered out of court after she told Jesus to kill her.

Leonora Joseph, 76, and her son Mark Joseph, 56, were convinced Samantha Ginsberg had cast a spell on the pensioner which had made her ill.

The born-again Christians harassed Ms Ginsberg by chanting: ‘Death by fire, death to Samantha’ and by turning up their television to maximum volume, it is claimed.

Mrs Joseph also claims she was left partially paralysed by one of Ms Ginsberg’s spells.

Giving evidence, Ms Ginsburg said the pair, who lived in the flat below hers, would break into threatening chants or at all hours of the day and night.

They would also turn up the volume of the channel God TV whenever they heard her come into the property.

‘They believe that I am a witch,’ said Ms Ginsburg.

‘Last year some time they started chanting in the middle of the night.’

She heard chants of ‘death by fire’ and calls for an angel to ‘slay’ them, the court heard.

‘You could hear them getting angrier and angrier,’ said Ms Ginsburg.

‘They would go from room to room underneath us.

‘The other thing they would say is ‘we know you are a witch, you will face justice’.

Ms Ginsburg said the pair also confronted her on the street and the harassment was so intense she started to avoid using the garden to avoid seeing them.

Police eventually spoke to the Josephs in September last year but the harassment continued.

‘It was less times, but it was still occurring.

‘The volume was not as loud sometimes,’ she said.

Mrs Joseph repeatedly muttered ‘Jesus’ and phrases under her breath from the moment Ms Ginsburg walked into court, despite being told to stop.

But after she said ‘Jesus kill her’, district Judge Andrew Sweet ordered her to leave court.

‘Mrs Joseph, I gave you two warnings, I said you must not interrupt the witness’ evidence.

‘I will not tolerate you sitting and making comments that are inappropriate,’ said the judge.

Shaking her head as she stepped out, Mrs Joseph told the judge: ‘God be your judge.’

Earlier, her son had asked to address the court, after he became aware of the contents of psychiatric reports conducted on them.

‘I would like to explain that we have been in this neighbourhood for 40 years.

‘We have never been in front of a court never been in front of the police, never received hospital treatment.

‘We have been largely anonymous in our neighbourhood,’ he said.

‘A great disservice has been done towards us by inferring we are delusional or we have a psychiatric disorder just because we believe in our lord and saviour Jesus Christ.’

Mr Joseph went on to say that the entire process was ‘spiritual warfare’ against him and his mother.

The mother and son, of Cromwell Road, Wimbledon, deny harassment.

The trial continues.
ENDS