Pair in Ghostly Night of Terror.
By Carol Saunders.
A Plymouth grandmother and her 15-year-old grandson have told of a night of terror when they are convinced a poltergeist caused havoc at their home. A parish priest also believes that something happened in the council bungalow in Brake Farm, which left Mrs Val Leech, 64, and schoolboy Quinten Hoskins shaking with fear. Widow Mrs Leech loves her one-bedroomed bungalow where she has lived since her husband died eight years ago – and is determined to stay there despite what happened.
On Thursday night she and Quinten were just dropping off to sleep when the noises began. During the next six hours walls were thumped, chairs, pictures, books and ornaments were thrown around the room; a wall-hanging phial containing holy water was smashed. Mrs Leech had to hang onto her grandson as unseen hands grabbed the boys ankles and dragged him towards the bedroom door; the bedroom door was opened and slammed shut with such force that its veneer panelling on both sides were ripped upwards; the duvets on both beds in the room were dragged off towards the bedroom door more than 10 times, and a chair placed to keep the door open was crushed.
Mrs Leech said: “I am a devout Catholic but I am not a religious maniac. Also I am not easily frightened. Thank goodness my grandson was here – and my neighbour came round in the middle of the night to find out what all the noise was about, otherwise people would say I was a silly old woman who was losing her mind.”
Quinten said: “I thought the night would never end. There was anger there. The things thrown about missed us by inches.”
Neighbour Harry Chapman was asleep in a chair next door when he was woken around midnight by banging. He said: “I came round to ask Val what the heck was going on. When I went in the loud banging stopped, but I could see the phial of holy water had been smashed and Val and Quinten were obviously scared to death.” After he left the things began happening again. At around 4.45 am on Friday the terror ended.
Mrs Leech’s family contacted the parish priest and Father Denis Collen of St Peter’s Church visited the house. After listening to what had happened, he said: “I have heard of such cases before. In fact I heard of one in the home of a parish priest. Sometimes it can be a distressed soul who is calling for our prayers.” He led the family in prayers and sprinkled holy water.
Parish priest Denis Collen comforts Mrs Leech.
Quinten with the damaged door.
Western Evening Herald, 5th February 1990.
High spirits!
A poltergeist terrorised Val Leech in a scene straight out of the Hollywood horror film. Pictures, ornaments and chairs were hurled at the 64-year-old widow in a six-hour ordeal. Then ghostly hands clawed at her grandson Quinten Hoskins, 15. Petrified Quinten said yesterday: “Nan started saying her rosary and it became even more violent.” Priest Father Denis Collen, who was called to the house at Plymouth, Devon, said: “It could have been a lost soul calling for prayers.”
Daily Star, 6th February 1990.