Demonic life of Pastor Lee

By TONY STICKLEY and PAUL YANDALL

Self-styled pastor, exorcist, and miracle worker Luke Lee could see demons everywhere - including in prison and even in court.

Lee told a High Court judge at a bail hearing that he cast out devils from inmates while on remand at Mt Eden Prison.

In one case, he said he healed the wrist wounds of a prisoner who had tried to kill himself.

He told Justice John Priestley there were at least five demons in the judge's court.

This week, Lee, aged 38, was found guilty of the manslaughter of fervent disciple Joanna Lee during an aggressive exorcism last December at his Mt Roskill home.

Lee said the woman would again rise from the dead on or before Monday.

At a bail hearing in March - details of which can now be published - Lee told Justice Priestley that God told him who was possessed by demons.

He promised at the time, if given bail, not to perform any further "deliverances", but to pass them on to other exorcist colleagues.

Lee told the judge he had been on remand for about six weeks in Mt Eden Prison where he saw prisoners possessed by demons.

He said he was able to help them.

Lee told of one inmate who had slashed his wrists. He said he witnessed to him about Jesus and by the following morning his wounds had disappeared and he was free of his demon.

Justice Priestley asked him to look around the courtroom to see if there was anyone with demons.

Lee slowly scanned the room before telling the judge that he could see demons in people in the room.

Justice Priestley said he would not embarrass those people thought to be possessed by the devil by having Lee point them out.

Justice Priestley: How many people can you see with demons at the moment?

Lee: At least five.

At the time, 13 were people in court including prosecutor Aaron Perkins, Lee's former lawyer Lorraine Smith, court staff, police officers, other lawyers, members of the public and a Herald reporter.

This week, Lee claimed in court that a demon killed Ms Lee.

He said he brought her back to life "to some degree"

But when the police took him and his followers in for questioning six days after the exorcism, the demon returned.

The demon killed the unprotected woman for a second time, he said.

Lee represented himself, but some lawyers referred to the old adage of a person who defends himself having a fool for a client.

His former lawyer, Mrs Smith, said Lee rejected a chance to mount a credible court defence.

In the defence that never was, he was to have been portrayed as a devoted pastor doing his duty exorcising evil.

Because the exact cause for Ms Lee's death was unknown, enough doubt existed to question whether Lee killed her, Mrs Smith said.

But she said Lee dropped her from the case when she began asking him the tough questions he would have to face from prosecutors.

"I was going to show that her death could have been brought about by a panic attack.

"I think we would have been able to put up a pretty good fight," Mrs Smith said.

She said it was a fight that was never fought because Lee decided that he did not need a lawyer - God told him so.