'' His apprehension was caused by a confession from
Geillis Duncan which afterward prompted his examinations as a sorcerer. Fian first openly confessed that he bewitched a gentleman to fall into fits of lunacy once every 24 hours. To verify this, Fian caused the same gentleman to come before the presence of
King James in the king's chamber on 24 December 1590, where he purportedly bewitched the man, causing him to be in a hysterical fit for an entire hour of screaming, contorting and jumping high enough to touch the ceiling of the chamber; after the hour ended, the gentleman declared no memory of the event, as if he were asleep. Fian confessed during a later trial examination that he made a compact with Satan but would renounce Satan and vow to lead the life of a Christian. The next morning, he confessed that during the previous night, the Devil came to him in his cell dressed in all black with a white wand, demanding Fian to continue his faithful service, according to the first oath and promise of their agreement. Fian testified that he renounced Satan to his face saying
"Avoided Satan, avoided, for I have listened too much to thee, and by the same thou hast undone me, in respect whereof I utterly forsake you." He confessed that the devil then answered
"That once ere thou die thou shall be mine." The devil afterwards broke the white wand, and immediately vanished from his sight. He then was given a chance to lead the life he promised but the same night he stole a key to his cell and escaped. He was eventually captured and tortured until his execution. ==Death==