Hugues Géraud

He enlisted Pons de Vassal and Isar d’Escodata, both members of the papal court, and procured poisons and wax figurines to bewitch the pope.

Three wax figurines, representing Pope John XIII and his advisors Bertrand du Pouget and Gaucelme de Jean, were hidden in loaves and given to messengers to carry into the episcopal palace.

The plot quickly unravelled, with Géraud admitting everything without being tortured and the pope praising des Près's "prudence, faithfulness and experience".

On 21 August the pope personally questioned Géraud, who nine days later was found guilty of witchcraft, sacrilege and the murder of Jacques de Via.

[2] This campaign against sorcery was continued by John's successors from pope Benedict XII to Antipope Alexander V. At the pope's request Pierre des Prés also presided over the trials of Géraud's accomplices, most notably those of Pierre de Saleilles in September 1322 and of Bernard Gasc (a bishop in partibus who had blessed the wax figurines) on 26 November 1322[3]