An act of vandalism marred a sacred occasion as anti-religious graffiti was discovered on the walls of a church during its most sacred day.

Joseph Williams, 31, defaced St James’ Church in Leyland with messages like “God is a lie” and other offensive remarks.

In addition to the graffiti, Williams targeted gravestones in the churchyard, marking them with inappropriate images such as spray-painted penises and cross-eyed smiley faces in a spree on Good Friday.

Just a week after this incident, Williams shattered a full-length stained glass window at St Mary’s Church, which featured an image of the Blessed Sacrament.

His vandalism extended beyond the churches, as he also defaced seven vehicles in the area with vulgar words and images during his April 2025 rampage.

Residing on Nelson Avenue in Leyland, Williams has been sentenced to eight months in prison after admitting to religiously aggravated criminal damage.

Judge Richard Archer said: ‘The court will not tolerate deliberate damage on religious building regardless of what religion or what time.’

Rev Mark Wolverson, the vicar at St James’ church in Slater Lane, said he and the congregation were ‘shocked and horrified’ to discover the obscene graffiti on one of the holiest days of the religious calendar. 

In addition to the Easter services which were to be held over the weekend, a wedding was planned to take place on the Saturday.

Joseph Williams sprayed anti-religious graffiti on the walls of a church and on graves 

A church and dozens of gravestones were covered in ‘blasphemous’ graffiti on Good Friday

St James Church (pictured) in the town of Leyland, near Preston, Lancashire, was plastered with lewd images and offensive phrases at the start of the Easter weekend

Members of the community rallied round to try to remove the vandalism before the ceremony, but the bride and groom had to be informed and were upset and distressed as they prepared for their big day.

‘The community was determined to show this would be put right’, Rev Wolverson said. ‘The way everyone came together was wonderful.’

But he said some of the graves still bear remnants of graffiti and the church council is considering specialist cleaning, which will incur a cost. 

They are also looking at increased security measures such as CCTV to protect the building and its grounds from further attacks.

‘It is sad we need to take action to protect a place of worship in the local community,’ he said.

‘I hope following the publicity of this people will be more aware and mindful of the trauma caused to the congregation and community.

‘As well as a place of worship, this is a burial site. The lack of respect for people and their burial sites are very sad and disappointing.’ 

On Sunday April 27, 2025, a witness used the phone outside Leyland Police Station to report seeing Williams smashing the stained glass window at St Mary’s on Broadfield Drive. Officers went to the scene and chased the vandal – who tried to run away.

He was arrested on suspicion of religiously aggravated criminal damage and a carrier bag, containing red spray, was found in a bedroom at his father’s home.

Some of the graves still bear remnants of graffiti and the church council is considering specialist cleaning 

Shocking images show the words ‘f*** you’, ‘f***’, ‘God is a lie’, ‘die p***k’ (pictured) and ‘c***’ spray-painted across the church and gravestones

Williams pleaded guilty to two offences, relating to St James’ Church and St Mary’s Church, with an additional seven counts of criminal damage to cars in the Slater Lane area over Easter weekend.

He appeared at Preston Crown Court and asked to address the court directly about what had happened. He explained he was a religious man and tried to live a good life, taking care of animals and feeding the birds every day.

He said: ‘That period in time a lot of things in my life were making me think the world was attacking me from the outside. 

‘It made me start drinking and going back on what I believed inside and it made my thinking change dramatically.

‘Over a number of days or a week I acted very out of character. I’m very sorry.’

Sentencing, Judge Archer said: ‘It is difficult to understand why you did this. You were someone – and perhaps still are – who for a long time considered yourself religious and believing in God.

‘You will understand the horror and distress caused and that the vicar sets out. He was shocked to see the rude and blasphemous graffiti on the graves and churchyard. 

‘There was a rush to remove it, given the holy time of year and the important wedding to take place on the Saturday and there was distress caused to the couple facing the prospect of their wedding day and pictures being marred by the damage you caused.

‘Rev Wolverson says the community was wonderful but reminds us of the trauma you caused on Good Friday.’

The judge accepted Williams did not pose a significant risk to others but said ‘a strong message should be sent out’.

‘The court will not tolerate deliberate damage to religious buildings, regardless of what religion or what time.’