Christian preacher tells how he held gang boss Cornelius Price’s hand as he died

Reverend Alex Johnson said ‘Nellie’ Price had previously improved after he prayed by his bed and “led him to Jesus” but last weekend he took a turn for the worse after getting pneumonia.

Price had been in a coma since late 2021 after suffering limbic encephalitis which causes brain swelling.

During Price’s final hours, Johnson said he cured members of the family who were present of various ailments from bad backs to asthma.

Earlier today, the UK-based preacher posted on social media about how the family had contacted him a number of weeks ago to come and pray for the stricken gang boss.

Describing his death on Sunday, Rev Johnson said he returned to the hospital in Cwmbran to find members of the family gathered.

“I went up to the fourth floor and entered Nellie’s room. It was full of members of his family.”

“Weeping, I walked to his left side, I had led him to Jesus a few days ago and as soon as I took him by the hand and said ‘Nellie, it’s Alex here’, he opened his eyes and looked straight at me.”

“I told him, Nellie, what has been happening to your family is incredible, 31 have become Christians, your dad has been healed, touching his toes, Stewart and Brendan have been healed, Gerald can’t stop walking and I prayed, looking at me then, then looking above my head, wide eyed he gave his last breath.”

“His father told me ‘Alex, he has been waiting for you.’”

There was no mention in his testimony of Price’s criminal career during which he is suspected of being involved in at least four murders.

These include the murder of Willie Maughan and his girlfriend Ana Varslavane who disappeared without trace from Price’s Gormanstown compound in April 2015.

When he died, Price had been on bail for his part in a brutal kidnap and extortion plot for which Limerick gangster Ger Dundon has been convicted in the UK.

Price had also been named in the High Court as a leading member of the Price-Maguire gang involved in the lethal Drogheda feud and a major drug dealer supplying the north-east region of the country.

Describing it as a miraculous event Johnson explained how he had met the family a number of weeks ago.

“The story began when I was asked to pray for a brain damaged man Cornelius Price, who had been comatose for nearly two years.”

“I visited him a few weeks ago and after praying he began to show signs of recovery.”

He said that afterwards Price was transferred to a care home and became “even more responsive.”

However, he became sick again and was brought The Grange Hospital in Cwmbran and the preacher was asked to come back again last Friday.

“It was a few days ago that things changed and he developed pneumonia, his family were called in as there was nothing left for the doctors to do.”

“I was asked to visit him at the Grange Hospital. The events that took place as far as I know have never occurred in Wales before in a hospital.”

He said around 19 family members prayed with him in the hospital foyer and “gave their lives to Jesus”.

“We gathered by Nellie (Cornelius’ nick name) and I prayed, he began to respond.”

Johnson returned home but by Saturday things had deteriorated and more members of the family had arrived who prayed with the preacher from Liverpool.

“Again, I prayed with Nellie, there was a battle going on. I came back to the side waiting room leaving Nellie with close members of his family (though they are all incredibly close).”

He then described meeting other members of the family during which as “I anointed and prayed with each one, miracles of healing touched each.”

He also posted several videos as various members of the family, some in tears, testified how they had been cured of different ailments.

On Sunday as Price passed away, the preacher claims more healing miracles took place.

“I set off after some prayer then arrived at the Grange Hospital to find that overnight the doctors had decided there was nothing they could do for Nellie so they removed all support for Nellie.”

“When I arrived at the hospital I was met by more members of his family in the foyer and more healings took place.”

He explained that he had spoken with the family who had given him permission to use “these testimonies.”

“They are shedding tears not of grief but of joy of how God has brought this huge family together.”