Stanislaw Myskza - the last execution to take place at Perth.
47 year old Catherine McIntyre lived at Tower Cottage on the Tombuie Estate at Kenmore near Aberfeldy in Scotland, overlooking Loch Tay. On Friday the 26th of September 1947 her husband had gone to work as usual, leaving her alone in the cottage. When her son, Archibald, came home at 5.15 pm. he discovered an horrific scene. Catherine was lying on his bed, her hands and ankles taped together, a gag in her mouth and covered in blood. She had been savagely battered to death. The McIntyre’s had been robbed of nearly £90 and Catherine’s wedding ring ripped from her finger.
The police searched the cottage and the surrounding area and found a blood stained and broken shotgun which was later identified as having been stolen from Tulloch Farm in Old Meldrum, at the same time as a Polish man who had been working there had left. He was identified at Stanislaw Myskza who was a former PoW who was staying at Taymouth Castle. This was being used a re-settlement centre for some 800 former Polish soldiers who wanted to remain in Britain.
The police discovered a makeshift camp in the bracken near Tower Cottage, wherein they found the murder weapon, together with a railway ticket of the type issued to servicemen and a razor from which hair samples were obtained and sent to Professor Glaister for analysis. They matched those taken from Myszka, thus helping to tie him to the crime.
Myszka was arrested a disused airport near Peterhead on the 2nd of October 1947. When he was searched, Catherine's wedding ring was found hidden in his shoe.
Myszka came to trial at Perth on the 6th to the 10th of January 1948 before Mr. Justice Sorn. As usual a defence of insanity was put forward, which was rebutted by prison psychiatrists. Professor Glaister gave evidence in court regarding the hair match and together with all the other evidence it took the jury just 20 minutes to convict Myszka.
He was hanged at Perth on Friday the 6th of February 1948 by Albert Pierrepoint, the first execution there since 1909.
Note : Myskza is also given as Myszka in some accounts.
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