In April 1699, Helen Thompson, a woman from the lower socioeconomic strata of Greenock in Renfrewshire, became the subject of serious public denunciation. During this period, tensions regarding witchcraft often manifested in communal accusations, and Helen was specifically identified by a male witness as one of the individuals responsible for the torment of a woman named Margaret Laird. This testimony was delivered in Paisley between the 19th and 21st of April, marking the beginning of a precarious period for her within the local community.
Despite being named in these testimonies as an alleged tormentor, the surviving records for Helen are marked by a notable absence of judicial finality. While she was formally denounced in connection to the suffering of Margaret Laird, there is no extant evidence to suggest that the legal system pursued a full prosecution against her. Consequently, the ultimate outcome for Helen remains unknown; the records offer no confirmation of a formal trial or sentencing, leaving her case as an instance of accusation that failed to transition into a documented criminal proceeding.