Is THIS proof a Satanic ‘cult’ is sacrificing animals in the UK? Terrified locals tell of ‘evil’ acts as CCTV emerges

THE notice pinned on the chipped black warehouse door, announcing the presence of a “religious group” carrying out “acts of worship”, seems harmless enough. But earlier this year a stark clue emerged that the building was hiding a far darker secret – when horrified residents noticed streaks of blood smeared across the door. ‘Master Hugo’ Jefferson, who headed London’s Quimbanda branch, with a goat which was allegedly sacrificed Credit: Instagram Sun reporter Josh Saunders on the street of Quimbanda’s headquarters Credit: Ray Collins The goat being led into the Hackney artist studio Credit: supplied An eerie looking ritual including stabbed meat, photos of a person, alcohol and flowers Credit: Instagram The Quimbanda group, who posted the paper notice at the building in Hackney, east London, offers “spiritual ceremonies, religious ritual practices and community gatherings”. But it also names the venue as the ‘Templo de Quimbanda Luciferiana’, in reference to Lucifer AKA the Devil. One woman, who was too frightened to be named, told how she was horrified when she looked up the group online and found an Instagram page that chillingly stated: “We can be Gods or rats, the choice is exclusively ours.” “It was scary,” she said. “I wanted nothing to do with them. But when I saw some of the footage they had posted online, which seemed to show them sacrificing animals, I was really alarmed. “At first I thought it was theatre, but then I realised it was actually real, and I couldn’t believe it. “I was so worried about what I had seen that I went to a church and told them I thought my nearby neighbours were satanists. They told me to ignore them and they would hopefully go away, and that they would pray for me.” Quimbanda is a quasi-religious movement originating from Brazil, known for sacrificing animals, worshipping what appears to be a Satanic goat, hanging upside crosses and practicing dark magic rituals. The Hackney Quimbanda temple is run by former Marco Pierre White chef Hugo Jefferson, who goes by the name “Master Hugo” among his followers. Jefferson adamantly insists the group is not Satanic. But their grim practices were exposed in April this year when grainy footage emerged of Master Hugo dragging a goat down a corridor into their rented headquarters. Six hours later, at 4.31am, two men were seen exiting with bags of rubbish and a plastic bag that appeared to contain bones or horns. The animal was never seen leaving the building. Journalist Conrad Quilty-Harper, 39, who discovered the CCTV footage that appeared to show the animal before it was sacrificed, tells us: “After the goat was taken to the room, you could hear very loud music, shouting in Portuguese. It sounded like a rager (an energetic party). A reasonable person would say the goat was killed in that room. “In the past, I had seen evidence on social media of people with knives in that room. Other videos showed a man holding a dead chicken by its neck and people burying animal parts in the ground.” After looking at their social media pages, Conrad realised the group had been operating for several years and had carried out ceremonies at cemeteries and woodland areas. “This wasn’t hidden, it was public,” Conrad says. “It wasn’t something they did on just one weekend, it was happening regularly. “They were burying animal parts in the ground, setting off fires and leaving items on graves. Did he have permission from the cemeteries to do that?” Dad Aaron Frater, 40, who lives opposite the East London Quimbanda headquarters with his family, said the group’s presence had sent shockwaves through the local community. He said: “It’s evil isn’t it. People were scared and worried when they saw the footage, because they didn’t know what they were doing in there. I’m not scared of those people sacrificing things but they are evil people.” Aaron – who described Jefferson as a “huge man” – said he saw him and two others removing containers from the building less than a month ago, along with a bizarre ornamental object which appeared to be covered in goat fur. Looking at the photo of the goat that was allegedly sacrificed, Aaron tells us: “Yes, like this one. (The object) was a seashell design with goat fur all over it. It was like a goat had all its skin taken away and glued onto a large shell.” Beside Quimbanda’s temple are two churches – one offering tutoring for GCSE and A-level students. Minister Tony from that church, who didn’t want to give his surname, tells us: “Satanic rituals? This is the last thing I would ever want.” The goat was feared to have been killed by an alleged ‘Satanic’ ritual Credit: supplied Quimbanda rituals involved offering alcohol, meat, food and flowers to their gods Credit: Instagram/ One local described a weird shell-shaped creation with goat-like fur similar to the one on the left Credit: Instagram/@quimbadatrancaruas7reinos Locals were concerned after spotting a notice from Jefferson, pinned to the building’s door Credit: Supplied Another local, who also withheld his name for fear of reprisals, says he heard the Quimbanda group chanting late at night and fears animal sacrifices may have happened in their so-called temple multiple times. After CCTV footage shone a light on the group in April, leaders deleted one Instagram page which reportedly had 400,000 followers. However, a page with a smaller following of 558 still exists. And it is filled with clips that wouldn’t be out of place in a horror movie. Some show severed pig and goat heads, dead chickens and animal organs – including what appears to be a cow heart – being used in ceremonies using fire, twine and oils. Quimbanda rituals – which are known as ‘tra­balho’ – involve making sacrifices of meat, alcohol and livestock in order to improve the lives of members, who might seek better jobs, love or even help for addiction issues. Jefferson – who is believed to have charged at least £70 for his services – has posted seven screenshots of testimonials online claiming that “miracles” had taken place. One anonymous follower thanked him on the Instagram page for “setting me free to a new life” after “29 years lost to alcohol, drugs and cigarette addiction” and added: “Keep going, Hugo!!! Free people from evil.” A second claimed an unknown medical “blockage that had been found disappeared” allowing the person to successfully have vital surgery. A third claimed they had secured “the best job of my life”, moved into a “perfect house” and saw their relationship improve as a result of the ritual Jefferson had conducted for them. Using a false identity online – a man who boozed too much, recently lost his girlfriend and job – our reporter reached out to several Brazil-based Quimbanda priests who were more than happy to help. Jefferson never replied. Those who did offered “spiritual services and rituals” to solve the problems. But first they insisted upon a ‘spiritual consultation’ to assess “all the energies that are affecting your life, positively or negatively”. Most charged between £45 and £65 for that one-hour session. From there, it is reported that they can charge up to £2,000-plus for rituals, some of which involve animal sacrifice. One, who seemed less pushy on making a sale, stated that successful results “depends on whether a person deserves it”. As we were refusing to pay, they didn’t elaborate more on their services. Jefferson inside the Hackney lot holding a flag bearing a Satanic-style goat One Quimbanda clip shows what appears to be an effigy Credit: Instagram An outdoor ritual appears to include the head of a decapitated goat Credit: Instagram A live chicken appeared to have been used in another ceremony Credit: instagram But one local shop owner, who runs store 13 Moons, poured scorn on the group’s actions, branding them “disgusting” for exploiting vulnerable people. She said: “It’s disgusting that people do this to other people. They are taking money for the wrong reasons.” Recent statistics show a growing number of people in Britain are turning to the occult to seek help for their problems. The last England and Wales census in 2021 showed a 167 per cent rise in people identifying as Satanists – the number of self-confessed devil worshippers soaring from 1,893 to 5,054 in a decade. Dee Johnson, 62, who describes herself as ‘The Modern Witch’ online, is among those who have noticed a growing tide of customers seeking dark spells. She also condemned the Quimbanda group for cashing in on the increased demand with rituals and practices which are “morally wrong”. She said: “I am asked to perform dark magic spells more than ever before at the moment. People ask me to use it to help them win the love of their life or break up other people’s marriages. “I always refuse, but I know there are dark magic groups that charge a lot of money. One client many years ago said she went to someone who killed a chicken in front of her. I have also seen satanist sites in the past where rabbits were used.” Speaking about the Quimbanda practices, she went on: “I’m not against people practicing Satanism if they think that’s their God, but this is a serious animal welfare issue. It needs to be stamped out, because it’s not morally right. “You can’t take a goat into a building, kill it and leave body parts. There’s the hygiene aspect as well as the cruelty. It’s a commercial building, not an abattoir.” For the Hackney branch of the Quimbanda group, the potential legal issues they face relate to the alleged sacrifice of live animals. Under law, they must only be killed at an approved slaughterhouse unless it is an emergency. There is also the issue of animal cruelty, which carries custodial sentences of up to five years. Jefferson is believed to have once worked for a Marco Pierre White restaurant in London Credit: instagram The creepy and unusual items stashed around the Hackney studio Credit: Instagram Additionally, live goats must be registered with authorities and details shared regarding where and how the animal is kept. When contacted for comment Hugo Jefferson did not comment on allegations of animal slaughter or rituals involving them. He confirmed their Hackney ‘temple’ had been shut down and that he had “spoken to all of the authorities” including the RSPCA, who told us they could not discuss complaints about specific people. Hackney Council confirmed they visited the site in June and had referred the case to Government authorities the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and RSPCA. Jefferson told us: “We are closing down because we need so many licences to open again. “We are not Satanic, we are Quimbada. I think you need to share about Quimbanda before you say we are doing Satanic things.” Despite his claims of closing down, the Quimbanda’s social media pages remain active, with images of Jefferson’s so-called miracles still visible. For neighbours of Master Hugo’s former base in Hackney, the only miracle they are hoping for is that he never returns.