Charmain Speirs was 40 years old when she met prophet Eric Adusah. For several years, Charmain had been part of one of the fastest-growing Christian movements in the world, Pentecostalism. Through her faith, she appeared to discover the happiness she'd been struggling to find, but there was still something missing.
She'd just had enough of normal men, her friend Anne-Marie says. She wanted that man of God. She wanted what was promised for her. Then she said: 'I've met someone, a famous preacher'...
Her new love interest was the head pastor of Global Light Revival Church, Eric Adusah, originally from Ghana, who appeared regularly on Christian television. He wasn't just a pastor; in his church, he was called a prophet, believed to receive and share divine revelation directly from God. Charmain met Adusah in spring 2014, and after a whirlwind romance, they married in September of that year.
Just six months later, Charmain was dead, her body found in a bathtub in a hotel in Ghana. Adusah was arrested on suspicion of murder but was later released due to lack of evidence, denying involvement in her death.
More than a decade on, a BBC Disclosure investigation has uncovered significant omissions from his account of what happened at the hotel where Charmain died. The documentary series - Charmain and the Prophet - hears from Adusah's former partners who claim he is a danger to women.
Charmain's story begins in Arbroath, Scotland, where she grew up under humble beginnings. Friends describe her as a social butterfly, yet her life was not without turmoil. After moving to Glasgow and going through several relationships, one volatile, she eventually embraced religion, finding solace in Liberty Church.
As a single mother, Charmain struggled with post-natal depression. It was during this challenging time that she found faith, joining the newly-established Liberty Church. In 2007, she gave birth to a son named Isaac. Years later, her reviving faith led her to Adusah, and soon after their engagement, Charmain underwent a dramatic transformation.
Friends and family soon observed significant changes in her life, which culminated in a relationship they described as controlling and fraught with emotional distress. Charmain struggled with feelings of love and control, expressing to friends that Adusah showed her little affection, and during their relationship, many signs of domestic violence and control emerged.
Investigations into Charmain’s untimely death raised questions not only about her marriage but also the circumstances leading up to her tragic end. Despite police records stating that Adusah was the last known person to see her alive, witnesses reported seeing two men enter their hotel room late that night, details Adusah never mentioned to authorities.
In an ironic twist, Charmain’s post-mortem revealed traces of heroin in her system, a substance not typically found in her circle. This fueled allegations about her mental health and drug use, which friends vehemently contest, asserting that she detested drugs.
With conflicting accounts and the shadow of domestic violence looming, Charmain's son, Isaac, is left to grapple with a heartbreaking void. I have to live the rest of my life knowing that my mum is never going to see what I do in my life. It really gets to me, he expresses poignantly. The truth surrounding Charmain Speirs’s life, marriage, and death remains a haunting mystery, with many unanswered questions still lingering.
