Paul Carroll of Stanley, County Durham in England often relied on the advice of spirits received through his Ouija board for much of his life. However, the seemingly good advice took a sinister turn on Christmas Eve in 2014, when he was told that he would need to kill his family’s beloved Bedlington terrier, Molly because she’d been possessed. In particular, he would need to drown her in the bathtub, chop her up into pieces, and then dump her remains. Carroll followed these instructions and attempted to bury his dog at a pub before dumping the remains in a local drain. When the drain blocked up, his cruel work was discovered, his long-term learning and mental difficulties were taken into account and his act of cruelty went unpunished.

For his wife Margaret and their daughter Katrina Livingstone, the ordeal had just begun. After consulting the Ouija a week later, they were instructed to take prescription drugs and set their home on fire. They survived the blaze, but hopefully, the Carrolls will look elsewhere for advice in future.