THE CASE OF THE WEREWOLF WHO ATTACKED POLICE OFFICERS

Bill Ramsay - Man to werewolf

My tale today concerns an alleged case of Lycanthropy which occurred during the 1980`s in the seaside resort of Southend on Sea when a mild mannered carpenter called Bill Ramsey became known in the press as the `Werewolf of Southend`.

Bill had been suffering since he was 9 years old  with bouts of weird behaviour that people described as being wolf or animal like and accompanied allegedly by a foul smell. 

On the first occasion Bill became possessed with this condition he was able to rip out a post from concrete and smash it to pieces in front of his parents.
From then the attacks were mild until Bill in adult life realised he was losing self-control and voluntarily attended hospital where another major attack occurred and he bit a nurse and ransacked the hospital before being sedated. 

It was clear that Bill had lost self- control of his condition and on the night of 22nd July, 1987, the now 44 year old decided to visit Southend Police Station and asked to be locked up for his own and the public's safety.

During the course of a conversation with a police officer, Bill suddenly became enraged and `wolf-like` and physically attacked the 6` tall,  14 stone (196 lb or 89 kg) officer by  hurling the him across a car park and in the course of restraining Bill, it took no less than six police officers to bring him under control and then finally taken away to be secured in a police detention cell.

 Bill`s enraged `werewolf  like` behaviour did not cease under lock and key, as at one point Bill was able to wedge his head and arm through a cell door inspection hatch and whilst still snarling and snapping at officers. 
Police then were forced to call a doctor who administered Bill with a powerful sedative whilst the fire brigade were able to free him from the hatchway.


Bill`s case went global, and in the USA, Ed and Lorraine Warren the well-known demonologists flew over to Southend to investigate his case. Suffice to say Bill was later taken to America and his condition was proscribed as `demonic` and later  exorcised in a church ceremony in the USA.
To date Bill has not suffered with any more bouts.

Was Bill possessed? Or was Bill suffering from a rare mental condition known as Lycanthropy where the term is used in medical circles as reference to a mental illness  in which a patient believes he or she is, or has transformed into an animal and behaves accordingly. This is sometimes referred to as `Clinical Lycanthropy` to distinguish it from its use in legends.

Whatever the truth is, the story makes compelling reading, and here is a video made concerning the event.