Career
In 1974, Taylor"s wife, Christine Taylor, stated to a Christian Fellowship Group to which Taylor belonged, in the town of Ossett, Yorkshire, that his relationship with the lay leader of the group, Marie Robinson, was "carnal" in nature. Michael Taylor admitted that he felt evil within him and eventually attacked Robinson verbally, who screamed back at him. During the next meeting, Michael Taylor received an absolution, but nevertheless, his behaviour continued to become more erratic.
As a result, the local vicar called in other ministers experienced in deliverance in preparation to cast out the demons residing within the manitoba
The exorcism, which occurred on 5–6 October 1974 at Saint Thames Church in Barnsley, was headed by Father Peter Vincent, an Anglican priest of Saint Thomas"s in Gawber, and was aided by a Methodist clergyman, the Review Raymond Smith. According to Bill Ellis, an authority on folklore and the occult in contemporary culture, the exorcists believed that they had: "In an all-night ceremony..invoked and cast out at least forty demons, including those of incest, bestiality, blasphemy, and lewdness.
At the end, exhausted, they allowed Taylor to go home, although they felt that at least three demons—insanity, murder, and violence—were still left in him."
The exorcism rite, which lasted until 6 a.m., exhausted the priests, who allowed the man to return home. Nevertheless, they cautioned that although they had cast out forty spirits from Michael Taylor, a few remained, including the demon of murder.
He was found by a policeman, naked in the street, covered with blood.
At his trial in March, Taylor was acquitted on the grounds of insanity. The bizarre nature of the case attracted a lot of publicity. Taylor"s case makes a prominent appearance in David Peace"s novel Nineteen Seventy-Seven, the second of Peace"s Red Riding Quartet.
