In the summer of 1624, the judicial authorities in Orkney concluded a protracted legal struggle against Marable Couper, a married woman residing on the north side of the parish of Birsay. The legal proceedings against Marable were not her first encounter with the court; earlier, she had faced an initial trial, the nature of which remains obscured by the historical record. In that instance, she had secured an agreement to be banished from the parish in exchange for the charges against her being dropped. However, Marable’s refusal to comply with this order and her continued presence in Birsay ultimately brought her before the court again on July 7, 1624.
By the time of this second appearance, the allegations against her had expanded to include a wide array of property damage. The evidence presented to the court accused Marable of causing harm to the community's essential resources, specifically damaging crops, ale, animals, meal, and various buildings. Following the recording of her confession, the court found her guilty of the charges brought against her. On that same day, the sentence was carried out at Lonhead, where Marable was executed by being strangled and burned.