Skye man murdered brother-in-law in shooting spree

A antheral who carried retired a bid of shootings successful the Scottish Highlands has been recovered blameworthy of murdering his brother-in-law and attempting to termination his woman and 2 different people.

Finlay MacDonald, 41, repeatedly stabbed his woman Rowena astatine their location connected the land of Skye earlier driving 10 miles to different village, wherever helium changeable and killed his brother-in-law John MacKinnon.

The marine technologist past drove for different 40 miles earlier shooting Fay MacKenzie and her hubby John successful their location connected the Scottish mainland.

Despite their injuries, the MacKenzies fought backmost and wrestled the limb from MacDonald earlier helium was tackled by police.

The attacks took spot implicit a play of astir an hour, starting astatine earlier 09:00 connected Wednesday 10 August 2022, successful the last days of the schoolhouse summertime holidays.

The archetypal incidental was successful the MacDonalds' household location successful Tarskavaig connected the Sleat peninsula, an country successful the southbound of Skye which is location to astir 750 people.

MacDonald had a volatile narration with his woman and suspected she was having an affair.

The tribunal heard helium was upset by substance messages helium had seen exchanged betwixt Mrs MacDonald, 34, and her boss.

The mates struggled implicit her phone, earlier MacDonald took a weapon from his pouch and started stabbing her.

Their 4 young children heard her screaming and came to the room door. MacDonald continued the onslaught arsenic his woman tried to get retired of the house, but the backmost doorway was locked.

She told the court she remembered getting to her telephone to rise the alarm, and that her children were beside her arsenic she became weaker and weaker.

Mrs MacDonald heard her hubby making respective trips to and from their car earlier driving off.

The tribunal aboriginal heard that helium had "enough ammunition to commencement a tiny war".

He past went to his sister Lyn Anne MacKinnon's location successful adjacent Teangue.

She was extracurricular unpacking a car aft a household travel to Glasgow when helium pulled up and walked past her carrying a gun.

Within a fewer steps helium was wrong the house, wherever helium changeable her hubby John successful the kitchen.

MacDonald passed his sister arsenic helium walked backmost retired to his car, but said nothing.

Mrs MacKinnon ran into her location and recovered her hubby lasting astatine the room sink.

The 47-year-old distillery idiosyncratic collapsed into her arms and died contempt the efforts of exigency services.

MacDonald, meanwhile, was headed for Dornie.

Police responding to the 999 telephone astir the onslaught connected Rowena MacDonald spotted his Subaru and followed him to the village, adjacent Eilean Donan Castle successful Wester Ross.

Officers were advised not to halt MacDonald and were told that equipped officers were besides responding to the incident.

He was heading for the location of John MacKenzie - a retired osteopath who MacDonald blamed for making a backmost wounded worse.

When helium arrived helium changeable 65-year-old Fay MacKenzie done a model of the house.

Mr MacKenzie, who had been extracurricular feeding pigs, arrived location and rapidly became alert thing was wrong.

The 65-year-old was changeable successful the backmost portion trying to support his woman arsenic they sought information successful a bathroom.

The mates past tackled MacDonald. Mr MacKenzie wrestled the weapon from him and Mrs MacKenzie deed their attacker with a "hefty" metallic toilet rotation holder.

She struck MacDonald astatine slightest doubly earlier proceeding a dependable say: "That volition do."

It was past she noticed constabulary were successful the house.

One serviceman utilized a spray akin to a capsicum spray connected MacDonald but it did not look to person an effect. Another serviceman past struck him with a baton portion his workfellow utilized a Taser.

MacDonald's attacks were carried retired with a pump enactment shotgun helium bought for £625.

He had held a firearms licence for 15 months and told constabulary helium owned six guns.

The tribunal heard that astatine the clip of the attacks, Mr MacDonald was affected by autism and station traumatic accent upset with depression, anxiousness and a property upset successful the background.

He told a advisor forensic psychiatrist that helium had difficulties dealing with radical and situations and helium saw himself arsenic a victim.

MacDonald alleged helium was antecedently beaten up successful a combat with Mr MacKinnon, and said the incidental had left him feeling humiliated.

The attacks sent shockwaves done the westbound Highlands, wherever incidents of utmost unit are rare.

The Reverend Gordon Matheson, who was a section Free Church pastor, had known MacDonald due to the fact that their children were astir the aforesaid age.

"I got to cognize him connected the schoolhouse tally and astatine shot training," helium said.

"Across the assemblage there's a feeling of betrayal - this is 1 of ours who killed different 1 of ours."

Skye and Raasay councillor John Finlayson said: "I don't deliberation we should underestimate the interaction it had connected truthful galore people.

"Not conscionable those straight affected by the incident, but besides the wider community.

"The communities affected astir apt inactive carnivore the scars and the healing process is inactive ongoing."

He added: "I americium definite radical volition continually request support.

"There is closure for some, but for immoderate radical that mightiness ne'er happen."