A Skye man accused of murdering his brother-in-law with a shotgun blamed an osteopath for ruining his life and threatened to kill him, a court heard today.
Rowena MacDonald said her husband Finlay MacDonald went to John Donald MacKenzie in the spring of 2022 seeking treatment for a back injury but was not happy with the result.
As well as the murder charge, MacDonald, 41, is on trial at the High Court in Edinburgh accused of attempting to murder the osteopath and his wife.
On day two of the trial, Mrs MacDonald described life with her husband and said he believed that his back pain was much worse following his treatment by Mr MacKenzie.
The 34-year-old – who also told the jury how her husband attacked her with a knife earlier in the day of the alleged shotgun attacks – said: “He told me that he had ruined his life.
“He would frequently say ‘I am going to kill him, bloody kill him for ruining my life.”
She said her husband was “very upset for a very long time”.
She said she assumed “it was just talk” because husband was “quite a ranty person”.
She added: “I would tell him to calm down.”
The court heard that MacDonald, a marine engineer, had various health issues and his wife said: “He used to go on about his health every day during our marriage.”
MacDonald has denied attempting to murder Mr MacKenzie at his home by firing a shotgun at him and striking him on the body on August 10 2022 to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of his life.
He has also denied murdering his brother-in-law, John MacKinnon, at his home in the Skye village of Teangue on the same day. It is alleged that he repeatedly discharged a shotgun at him, striking him on the body.
Murder accused bought shotgun and 1,000 cartridges
Mrs MacDonald said her husband was “quick to anger” and she went to his family doctor and raised the issue of anger management control in October 2016.
She said: “I was worried. I was scared of his angry outbursts.”
She said there was an incident between her husband and his brother-in-law Mr MacKinnon in 2013 when she could hear a commotion outside their home.
Mr MacKinnon drove off afterwards and MacDonald came back into the house breathless, dirty and with a facial cut.
The court heard that MacDonald had purchased a pump action shotgun for £625 and 1,000 cartridges in June 2022.
Advocate depute Liam Ewing KC said MacDonald has been seen by psychologists and psychiatrists since August 2022 and has an autism disorder.
Defence counsel Donald Findlay KC asked Mrs MacDonald about her saying she did not know he was autistic.
She replied: “No, not for sure. I knew there was something different. I didn’t know whether it was depression, anxiety, autism or something different.”
MacDonald has also denied attempting to murder Rowena on the same day as the shootings at an address in the village of Tarskavaig by struggling with her and repeatedly stabbing her on the body with a knife to her severe injury, permanent disfigurement and impairment and to the danger of her life.
He has also denied attempting to murder Fay MacKenzie, Don John MacKenzie’s wife, by repeatedly firing a shotgun at her and striking her on the head and body to her severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of her life.
He also faces a further charge under the Firearms Act that on August 10 in 2022 at addresses in the Skye villages and at the house in Dornie and elsewhere he possessed a shotgun with intent to endanger life.
MacDonald has lodged a special defence to the murder charge maintaining that at the time of the alleged offence his ability to determine or control his conduct was substantially impaired by abnormality of mind.
The trial before judge Lady Drummond continues.