Don't go in a scientology org when drunk

Angry computer expert attacked Scientologist - during a stress test

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Matthew Hickey flew into a rage









A
high-flying computer expert went for a stress test at the Church of
Scientology – then flew into a rage and attacked the man testing him.
Matthew
Hickey, 26, walked into the controversial church's Deansgate branch and
became angry when he was hooked up to an 'E-meter' stress-testing
machine.
He believed the device was actually a lie detector – and grabbed tester Brandon Sandler by the tie.
The
pair tussled and Mr Sandler fell backwards off his chair, injuring his
back and legs. The E-meter was kicked off the table in the struggle,
and smashed on the floor.
Hickey, 26, who was arrested at
the church, pleaded guilty at Manchester magistrates court to common
assault and criminal damage. He had gone into the church after a
drunken row with his girlfriend.
The court was told Hickey, who lives on Deansgate, had a high-pressure, £50,000-a-year IT job at a firm in Manchester.

After
spending the afternoon drinking, he and his partner went for a meal at
Grill on the Alley, off Deansgate, with his partner.
The couple had a 'silly' argument so Hickey
walked off and became intrigued by signs outside the Church of
Scientology offering free stress tests.
He went inside
and was hooked up to the E-meter by holding two handles, while Mr
Sandler asked him a series of questions about his life.
Joe Rawlings, defending, said the questions were 'pressing, probing and personal.'
He added: "I'm not suggesting provocation but it explains why Mr Hickey became agitated."

The court heard how members of the public witnessed the assault that followed.
Mr Sandler, in a statement, described how he had been left shaken by the incident.
Hickey, who admitted he had begun to drink too often, will be sentenced next month.
The
Church of Scientology was founded by American science-fiction author L
Ron Hubbard in the 1950s and counts Tom Cruise Lisa Marie Presley and
Isaac Hayes and John Travolta among its celebrity followers. The group
claims to have 8 million members worldwide.
It believes people are immortal spiritual beings who have forgotten their true nature.
The E-meter, which Mr Sandler said cost about £3,700, is the device at the heart of Scientology.
Practitioners using it in 'spiritual counselling' sessions to supposedly clear the subject of negative thoughts and emotions.

Following
a ruling in the US in the 1960s, Scientology can no longer refer to
E-meters as having any medical use and are now described as 'religious
artefacts'.

NRR wrote:True friends don't let friends walk into in a cult.