A man dressed as the Grim Reaper was arrested after climbing onto a hospital roof with a long blade and staring down at patients, staff, and visitors.
In an equally bizarre twist, the incident came just months after 26-year-old Leon Gillespie was busted for stealing cat food and kitty litter from a pet store.
Gillespie climbed onto the roof of Ysbyty Glan Clwyd hospital in St Asaph, Wales, on June 6 while dressed entirely in black.
According to the Mirror, witnesses described his clothing as resembling a Grim Reaper costume, although Gillespie later claimed he was dressed as a crow. Not ‘The Crow,’ just a crow.
He reportedly made noise on the roof while holding a long blade and staring at people below from above the hospital’s entrance. Four police cars and fire service vehicles responded before emergency crews managed to bring him down.
‘Grim Reaper’ hospital stunt ends with £200 fine
No explanation was given for the unusual stunt and Gillespie pleaded guilty to causing a nuisance without reasonable excuse on NHS premises. Llandudno Magistrates’ Court handed him a £200 (around $269 USD) fine.
The court also heard that Gillespie stole between £30 and £40 worth of cat food and litter from a local Pets at Home on March 26. He later stole food and drinks from a Sainsbury’s in Llandudno on May 28.
EAThe Grim Reaper is also a popular character in The Sims.
Those offenses resulted in another £100 ($134 USD) in fines, £100 in prosecution costs, and £50 in compensation.
“The health board has previously stated it has a zero tolerance approach to abuse, aggression or nuisance within its hospital sites,” a spokesperson for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said.
Hospitals have been at the center of several unusual stories over the years. In July, an Ottawa heavy metal band turned a hospital into a concert venue to grant a terminally ill patient’s final wish.
In 2023, TikToker Matthew Lani was also arrested after allegedly sneaking into a South African hospital while posing as a doctor.
