Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

Search

Search

1. 

   As someone who produced dozens of nativity plays as a teacher and a Sunday School leader, that title ‘A Gay…

2. 

   The defence of a Christian view never seems to be settled by debate: exchange of facts, reference to historical events.…

3. 

   But …… Rwanda is a safe place: Parliament says so.https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/8/contentsSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 S 2 Safety…

4. 

   Religion can survive only on the most unquestionable assumptions. The statements made on Sundays on the BBC as if they…

5. 

   Yes, if I’ve got anything remotely like a phobia, as an ex-fundy, its bibles, churches, tracts etc. I like to…

“CELEBRITY” pastor James MacDonald, above, is some piece of work.

In 2019 he was fired from Harvest Bible Chapel following numerous reports of bullying, deception, and financial misconduct involving the misuse of millions in church funds.

Now the disgraced former mega-church pastor faces charges of felony assault and battery in California.

Police allege he attacked 59-year-old Barbara Bass, who was hospitalised with “serious injuries” after an incident involving a minor traffic accident.

The alleged assault on Bass occurred on March 22 when she reportedly remonstrated with MacDonald after he struck her car with his truck while parking in the city of Coronado.

When officers arrived on the scene, they arrested MacDonald,and found a found a gun inside MacDonald’s truck.

Hitmen claims

Prior to his firing, The Roys Report (TRR) published numerous articles, documenting MacDonald’s dodgy dealings and behaviour—including his attempts to hire hitmen to off people he didn’t like.

MacDonald, according to TRR, twice asked Chicago radio personality Mancow Muller to find him a hitman. MacDonald’s former bodyguard made a similar claim. 

And in 2015 Emanuel “Manny” Bucur, a deacon at Harvest and former confidant and volunteer bodyguard of MacDonald’s, said MacDonald asked him to kill MacDonald’s former son-in-law.

Bucur added that MacDonald offered to help him dispose of the body.

The charges against MacDonald

According to a criminal complaint filed on April 13 by the San Diego County District Attorney’s office, MacDonald, 62, faces one charge of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury and one count of battery with serious bodily injury.

The complaint reads:

James MacDonald personally inflicted great bodily injury upon Barbara Bass … he did willfully and unlawfully use force and violence.

If convicted he faces seven years in prison, according to Tanya Sierra, assistant director of communications for the San Diego County District Attorney’s office.

MacDonald has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Michael Pancer, said in a statement to The Roys Report (TRR):

James MacDonald has never, nor would ever, intentionally harm another human being. The charges as written are not accurate as to what took place. We believe the evidence will show Dr. MacDonald’s intent and conduct was neither malicious, nor correctly assigned, in the charges filed.

Lt. Alex Navarro of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department told TRR that MacDonald was booked into San Diego Central Jail on March 22. He was released on $35,000 bail the same day.

He faces a June 14 readiness hearing before a July 6 preliminary hearing.

You can also support my work via a one-off donation via PayPal, Buy Me a Coffee or GofundMe.

If you spot any typos in this report, please alert me via email: freethinkered@aol.