Highland spirit enough to give robber run for his money

The courage of Janet McGregor when confronted by a vicious robber speaks volumes of the spirt of Highland Perthshire ladies. Miss McGregor lived in modest comfort at Thornhill Cottage at Monzievaird, west of Crieff. She was 61 and played a highly active part in community life.

On the night of February 15 1928 she left the cottage to attend a meeting with friends and did not return home until after 10pm.

When she entered Thornhill, she sensed all was not well and soon noticed money was missing and possessions had been moved.

Before she had the chance to investigate further, Miss McGregor was savagely assaulted by an intruder.

Army deserter David McLeod, 22, had been in the process of stealing from the cottage when Miss McGregor returned from her meeting. He was from the Crieff area and suspected Miss McGregor stored a lot of cash on the premises.

As Miss McGregor entered her house, McLeod was waiting with an iron shovel. He battered her over the head repeatedly and with such force that walls and door facings were splattered with blood.

This did not stop the feisty Miss McGregor. She charged at McLeod screaming, cornered him behind a table and then launched a lamp at him.

Next she flew at the soldier and dragged him to the ground. In the brawl that ensued, Miss McGregor’s head was badly cut by glass from the smashed lamp.

The head wounds looked so serious that McLeod feared they would prove fatal.

He tended to the injuries and nursed Miss McGregor throughout the night. When he was confident she would survive, he slipped away but not before stealing a suit belonging to the woman’s brother and leaving his own patched suit.

Miss McGregor alerted a school child who brought a doctor. She was taken to hospital for treatment.

Police circulated a description and were soon on McLeod’s tail. After the robbery he had gone drinking in Crieff and next morning headed to Perth.

He took the back road to Dundee where police recognised and detained him.

At Perth Sheriff Court McLeod was jailed for two years.

Police circulated a description and were soon on McLeod’s trail