An electronic security device installed in a garden house in Ballerup, Denmark, has indirectly led to a prison sentence for a 59-year-old woman, who was previously the local party leader for the Moderaterne (Moderates). The Glostrup District Court found her guilty of assault for spraying herbicide directly in the face of another person.

The incident occurred in September of last year, when an electronic security device, set up to protect against vandalism, triggered a persistent beeping alarm. This sound caught the attention of a woman who was sitting in her brother’s garden enjoying an evening with rosé wine. To investigate the source of the alarm, she approached the garden house and knocked on the door.

Suddenly, she was confronted by the owner, who without warning sprayed the herbicide Roundup in her face. The victim suffered from impaired vision and abrasions as a result of the attack. The defense argued in court that the 59-year-old acted out of fear believing that she was confronting a burglar, but this was not accepted as a justifiable emergency situation.

The court sentenced the woman to 20 days of conditional imprisonment and an additional 40 hours of community service for the assault. She promptly appealed the verdict and has since stepped down from her position in the local party association, where a new chairperson has now been elected.