‘Archangel Raphael’ tells Northern Ireland court how he levitated to Ireland from Spain

The unknown man, Craigavon Magistrates Court heard, was initially “picked up as homeless” by police in the Donaghcloney area but refusing to divulge his personal details, “he told police that he had levitated over from Spain to Dublin and up to Northern Ireland.”

When he appeared in court earlier this month, charged with damaging a police cell van on 1 May, the court heard “he continues to want to be addressed as Archangel Raphael.”

As District Judge Bernie Kelly highlighted today the papers before her have “no name, no forename, no DOB, no occupation, no gender…..but he called himself the Archangel Raphael.”

“I’m surprised that he went for Raphael and not Gabriel but hey Ho,” said the judge, adding that in her opinion, “he needs to be psychiatrically assessed.”

“Does he need an interpreter?” Asked the judge and the police officer who connected the man to the offence at his first appearance a few weeks ago, told the judge he hadn’t needed one at that stage.

“Did he have an accent?” continued the judge, “because if he is from Dublin that’s an accent that’s hard to mask.”

Ordering the Angel to be psychiatrically assessed, she told prison staff “I know that it’s always difficult [to get such an assessment] but in this case, I’m asking for a special favour.”

Adjourning the case to 10 June with an order for the defendant to appear by videolink from prison, she said she was content to have a written report rather than having a psychiatrist having to give evidence as “it’s more to assist me in determining whether or not he is fit.”