Pastor to answer manslaughter charge

Lying on her back in a Mt Roskill living room, Joanna Lee writhed in pain as her pastor, Luke Lee, sat on her chest to help banish the demons he was convinced had possessed her.

Church followers were then ordered to hold the 37-year-old down as Lee began strangling her to force out the "evil ghosts."

Neighbours heard screams and chanting prayers echo from the house on Marydale Drive but did not think anything of it. Such noise typically came from the pastor's home.

As Joanna Lee slipped into unconsciousness, the pastor reassured those who had witnessed the exorcism that she was just looking around Heaven and would return to life soon.

Six days later, police found her fly-blown body, still lying in bed while Lord of All's church members continued to pray for her.

At a depositions hearing in the Auckland District Court yesterday, Lee was committed to trial for the manslaughter of Joanna Lee, one of his devout followers who suffered several fractured ribs and a fractured breast bone during the exorcism last December.

In written statements to police, some members of the 30-strong Lord of All's church said Lee had performed exorcism on them. In their statements they set out what they saw the day of the exorcism.

The pastor, who had founded the church, often pressed his hands painfully on their necks, chests and stomachs during exorcism.

"He is only a small man, but he used a lot of force," one Lord of All's member said.

Exorcisms were even performed in the Diocesan School for Girls' hall where the church meetings were originally held.

Active evangelists and church ministers interviewed by police said exorcisms, known as deliverance, were performed to cast out demons in the name of Jesus Christ.

Those performing deliverance often "laid their hands" on the person's forehead, shoulders or back but contact was not supposed to be forceful.

Evangelist Wilfred Subritzky, who said he had been involved in thousands of deliverances, said those possessed sometimes had to be restrained while demons left the body, but common sense was always used.

Lee graduated from the Advance Ministry Training Centre in Henderson in 1997 with a diploma of theology and biblical studies. The minister assigned to monitor him, Leslie Dowie, said he did not notice anything untoward but got "the impression he was extremely zealous."

Lee used to comb Queen St on Friday nights to find new members for his Lord of All's church.

Many who did join quickly became disturbed by Lee's aggressive behaviour and left again.

Lee's assistant pastor, Michael Hamilton, left in January 2000 and said the congregation were fervent Christians.

"[Lee] would raise his voice, get very excited and loud. It was all go, go, go," Mr Hamilton said.

An 80-year-old neighbour said prayer meetings were held day and night at Lee's Mt Roskill home, where she often heard screaming.

"The noise I could hear was like people expelling air and huffing and puffing. It would be in unison and would culminate in a crescendo which is when they would all scream," she said.

Neighbours also reported hearing drums and a cow horn being blown during the meetings.

Joanna Lee had arrived from South Korea just six weeks before the fatal exorcism took place and was "a very smiley person," according to other churchgoers.

But on December 9, congregation members said, they "could see the pain in her face" as Lee crushed her chest and neck.

Over the ensuing days, they wiped alcohol over her body to keep the smell at bay and even changed the bedclothes from under her.

Police arrived at Maryland Drive on December 15 and were told by Lee that Joanna Lee had been sick and was sleeping. The pastor insisted police had made a mistake in thinking she was dead.

"You must give us the opportunity to pray for Joanna," Lee said.

"We are innocent. God knows. If we pray, Joanna will come back. God knows."

Lee, aged 38, will stand trial in the High Court at Auckland for manslaughter.