In April 1597, Jonat Lucas, a woman residing in Pitmurchie within the parish of Kincardine O’Neil, appeared before the court in Aberdeen to answer a series of accusations. It is noted in the records that Jonat likely served in a domestic capacity, as her dittay indicates that she shared a room with the goodwife of Pitmurchie. It was this same mistress who leveled the majority of the accusations against her, and Jonat was also subsequently denounced by Margerat Bane, another individual caught within the web of the period's judicial proceedings.
When the trial concluded on April 24, 1597, the jury returned a verdict of "half guilty." Jonat was formally absolved of most charges brought against her; however, she was found guilty of using thread as a charm. While the jurors remarked that this specific act warranted a sentence of death, they deferred the final judgment to the presiding judge. Ultimately, the court determined that the offense did not justify execution. Instead, Jonat was sentenced to be banished from the sheriffdom of Aberdeen. The terms of her exile were strict: should she be discovered within twelve miles of the sheriffdom's boundaries, the original suggestion of a capital sentence would be enacted, and she would be executed as a witch.