Axe wielding Blairgowrie pensioner who attacked cousin locked up for life
The 61-year-old woman planned to dowse him in acid.
A hooded pensioner who attacked her cousin after hatching a plot to dowse him in acid faces spending the rest of her life locked up.
Joy Thomson, 61, armed herself with an arsenal of acid, CS gas, pepper spray and several knives before assaulting Peter Thomson, 62, with an axe.
Thomson has been made subject to a lifelong restriction order after a sheriff ruled that she continued to pose a serious danger to the public.
She was also made subject of a compulsion order and will be held in secure conditions after the court heard she still harboured a grudge towards Mr Thomson.
Thomson had written up a confession for her victim to sign and donned a black cape over her head before launching the terrifying attack on her cousin.
Sheriff William Wood said: "The complainer was very fortunate to have escaped significant and life threatening injury."
The diminutive 61-year-old had filled plant sprayers with deadly sulphuric acid and had obtained prohibited Black Sabre spray combining pepper and CS gas.
She crept up behind Mr Thomson after arranging to meet him and tried to launch an axe at him before pulling out a foot-long knife from her pocket.
The court was told that bungling officers from Police Scotland failed to search her properly and let her leave the scene still armed with the acid and other knives.
It was only when hospital staff noticed a noxious smell coming from her belongings that the acid and the rest of her huge haul of weapons was discovered.
The court was told that Thomson had gone to her cousin's home in Blairgowrie to confront him over unsubstantiated allegations from the past.
Thomson - still wearing the cape in the dock - admitted attacking Mr Thomson in Balmoral Road on 23 December 2016 by trying to strike him with an axe and presenting a knife at him.
She admitted having knives, an axe and a carving fork, as well as being in possession of the banned Black Sabre spray on 23 and 24 December.
Fiscal depute Michael Sweeney told the court: "The accused had not been in contact with Mr Thomson for 20 years, but since September 2016 there had been intermittent efforts to make contact."
She arrived at his family home on 23 December carrying several polythene shopping bags. She put some down at the door but refused to give one up.
Thomson, from Blairgowrie, raised the historical allegations as she walked around his kitchen. "He became aware of a quick movement behind him, and he turned and saw the accused holding an axe," Mr Sweeney said.
Mr Thomson grabbed hold of the axe and they tussled over it before he eventually pushed her back. At that point she pulled out the foot-long knife and he managed to shove her out of the door.
Thomson stood in the garden as her victim phoned other members of his family and said: "Joy's attacked me with an axe."
"She was dressed all in black with black cloth covering her head," the court heard. "She said she had gone with an axe and had done it to 'extract the truth' from Peter Thomson.
"A search was carried out by the police and they found a knife. She was in possession of several plant sprayers but the police did not recover them. A further knife was recovered."
Due to concerns about her mental state she was taken to Murray Royal psychiatric hospital in Perth and handed over to staff along with several of the bags she had been carrying.
"The charge nurse contacted police to advise them a strong chemical smell could be detected from her property which had been lodged on arrival.
"They were removed to the car park. The contents were tested by the Hazardous Substance Detection and Information Monitoring Officer.
"They contained two further knives, numerous plant sprayers and two containers. One of the plant sprayers was forensically tested and found to contain sulphuric acid.
"One of the containers was found to be CS and pepper spray. Her home address was searched and police recovered documents in relation to obtaining a signed confession from Peter Thomson."
Perth Sheriff Court was told that her claims against Mr Thomson had been investigated by police but no further action had been taken.