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In the paranoia-filled final days of the Second World War, Helen Duncan - a famous medium from Callander in Scotland - was sentenced to nine months in prison in 1944 under the Witchcraft Act of 1735. It was a case Winston Churchill referred to as 'obsolete tomfoolery'.

Helen caught the attention of authorities when she revealed the sinking of a battleship before the information had been publically released. Debate raged over whether the Scottish housewife was a spy, a fraud or a genuine medium, but authorities weren't prepared to take a chance on more wartime secrets being leaked, so charged her with "fraudulent spiritual activity".

Now her granddaughter Maggie wants Helen to be pardoned.

She told 5 live Daily's Emma Barnett: "It destroyed and damaged my family. I'm a granddaughter who loves her grandma and all I want is her name, our good name, to be restored.

"In 1944 they couldn't charge her for fraud because they knew they wouldn't get a conviction so that's why they came up with the Witchcraft Act of 1735. They were guaranteed a conviction. She was guilty before the trial started."

This clip is originally from 5 live Daily on Thursday 19 January 2017

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