In an eerie story out of England, a man claimed to be possessed by demons as he was being rescued from a house fire where he had been practicing 'black magic.' The bizarre incident, which came to light this week at a court hearing on the case, reportedly occurred in October of 2022 when first responders were called to a blaze at a home in Leeds. Firefighters arriving on the scene were undoubtedly taken aback when they entered the residence and discovered peculiar patterns drawn on the floor with a powder believed to be sugar or salt.

The call only got weirder from there as rescuers subsequently met Amir Merrikhi, who lived at the home. Initially greeting them with a literal hiss, the man motioned to some bottles on the floor and warned the firefighters not to touch them "as they were black magic." Merrikhi also explained to the astounded first responders that he had "captured demons and he was already possessed and his life was over." The man was so adamant about his plight that he refused to leave the residence and had to be forcibly removed by firefighters.

An investigation into the incident led to the discovery of additional puzzling patterns throughout the house and multiple spots where fires had been started. Merrikhi's neighbor echoed his strange claims, telling police that the man "referred to the bottles and referenced them being black magic" when they spoke outside as first responders put out the blaze. Ultimately arrested and charged with arson, the man pleaded guilty and was given a suspended sentence this week by a judge who cited a psychological report that attributed the incident to a mental health episode.