Ghost Hunter Tricks 'Black Monk Of Pontefract' Into Photo Leaving Him In 'Tears Of Fear'
A ghost hunter believes he may have tricked the infamous 'Black Monk of Pontefract' into posing for a photo.
John-Paul Newlands, from Lincolnshire, says he was left 'almost in tears of fear' when the apparition was caught in one of his photographs last month.
The 40-year-old ventured into what has been called one of the country's most haunted homes, 30 East Drive, Pontefract, East Yorkshire, to see if he could coax the spirt out for a snap.
And he claims to have done just that, catching what he says is the terrifying figure lurking in the corner of one of his photos.
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John-Paul says the picture shows the 'Black Monk' wearing a long, hooded robe, and standing with his arms raised in the air.
Recalling the moment he came face to face with the ghost, the paranormal expert said: "When I saw the picture, my heart sank. I won't lie I was really taken aback by it and I was at a point where I was nearly in tears.
"I don't know whether it was because I was happy or whether I was frightened. I couldn't tell at that time. I just ran up the stairs shouting 'I found him! I found him! I got him!'.
"The moment I took that shot we all said that there was just something that was just not right about that room and then bang.
"I think [the monk] has been caught out. I don't think that he was wanting to show himself. I used the mirror as a false sense of security for him and I caught it that way."
However, while he's sure of what he saw, John-Paul says he won't force his belief on others.
He said: "I won't say that this is a paranormal picture due to the fact I spotted the photo and I don't like to force people into seeing what they don't see.
"I will leave it to the imagination at the moment."
According to legend, the house was the location of 'the UK's most violent haunting', when a family was terrorised by the ghost shortly after moving in in 1966.
Jean and Joe Pritchard say that they saw the monk numerous times, with it even floating over their bed.
Other occasions, however, were much more ominous, with pictures slashed and heavy breathing heard throughout the house.
The story was even the subject of 2012 horror When the Lights Go Out, and the house is now open to visitors.
Experts say that the town's gallows were at one time opposite, and that the monk was sentenced to death for raping and murdering a young girl.
Discussing the latest sighting, the current owner, Bil Bungay, said: "It is a fascinating image for several reasons.
"Firstly, it is shot during daylight, so if it is anything paranormal, it challenges the convention of 'ghostly activity only happens when the lights are out' – which is in fact not the case at 30 East Drive.
"Secondly, it isn't unusual for a fog to be captured by our guests. This image definitely has a strange fog to the right and one that is hard to explain away in an era of digital photography where chemical anomalies are no longer a factor.
"Lastly, the white monk-like form in the bottom right ignores the general acceptance that the entity in the house is a black monk not a white one, and the hood is Diddy Man tall, not Cistercian Monk at all.
"This makes me feel it could have a little something to do with the curtains on the window where the light source is coming from. That said, it is a very peculiar anomaly indeed, so it's hard to explain away.
"Thousands of visitors will testify that 30 East Drive is a very peculiar place indeed, and let's face it – who really knows what the truth is?
"It is equally as plausible in my opinion that John may have captured something real that we have zero understanding of. The mind boggles."
Dominic Smithers