Scot tried for witchcraft

THE story of Carole Compton from Ayrshire is also a reminder that some of these ancient laws can have modern ramifications.

Swept of her feet by an Italian suitor in 1982, Carole, 19, moved to Italy and took a job as a nanny with the Ricci family. They claimed religious paintings started to fall off the walls in her presence and that there were a series of fires.

She was sacked but found another job on the island of Elba. The same strange scenarios started and Carole was arrested as a witch, which saw the media label her the “nanny witch”.

Her case came to trial in 1983 and, while she was found not guilty of witchcraft she was sentenced for arson but, given her time in jail awaiting trial, was immediately released.