A Skye man accused of murdering his brother-in-law and attempting to murder three other people was this afternoon found guilty and jailed for a minimum of 28 years.
Finlay MacDonald, 41, had denied murdering John MacKinnon at his home at Teangue, on Skye, on August 10 2022, by firing a shotgun at him.
He also denied attempting to murder his wife Rowena, 34, on the same day at the family home at Tarskavaig, on Skye, by repeatedly stabbing her.
He further denied attempting to murder retired osteopath John MacKenzie and his wife Fay, both 65, at their home in the village of Dornie, in Ross-shire, on the same date by discharging a shotgun at them.
A judge told him: “You carried out a series of brutal and mindlessly violent attacks with a knife and a pump action shotgun within a matter of hours.”
Lady Drummond said that relatives of Mr MacKinnon felt like they had lost the life and soul of the family after he was taken away from them.
The judge said that although jurors rejected a claim of diminished responsibility put forward on behalf of MacDonald, his health issues were still a matter to be taken into account and she acknowledged that he has expressed remorse.
Mr MacKinnon’s wife, Lyn-Anne MacKinnon, said her brother walked into their home carrying a shotgun and she heard the sound of gunshots.
In evidence, she said: “As I walked the steps from the car to the door I heard bangs. I walked into the kitchen and found John. At that point, he was still upright. He was groaning.”
Before that killing, MacDonald had repeatedly stabbed his wife Rowena at the family home at Tarskavaig.
The mother-of-four told the jury she was getting ready to leave for work when the alleged attack began.
She said MacDonald unfolded the knife and began using it to attack her.
She was asked where he stabbed her and replied: “Everywhere he could.”
Following the shotgun murder, MacDonald drove to the mainland village of Dornie and turned his shotgun on Mr and Mrs MacKenzie.
On day four of the trial, Mr MacKenzie told the jury that he was lying on top of his wife to protect her when MacDonald opened fire and shot him in the back.
He said: “I lay on top of her to protect her and then he shot me in the back. The struggle for the gun occurred after that. I got up, took the gun off him.”
He said: “When I got up to tackle him Fay would have been on the floor in the shower. My thought was if I had the gun underneath he couldn’t get it”.
Jury rejects autism defence
He claimed that at the time of the murder he was suffering from diminished responsibility which significantly impaired his ability to determine and control his actions.
It was said to stem from his then undiagnosed autism and other conditions which he was suffering from, including post-traumatic stress disorder and a personality disorder.
But a jury rejected his special defence to the murder charge of diminished responsibility and convicted him of the crime which carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. He was also found him guilty of the attempted murder charges.
Defence solicitor advocate Shahid Latif said MacDonald was a first offender who has expressed regret for what he did.
Advocate depute Liam Ewing KC said MacDonald was a man with “a long-standing problem controlling his anger” who had a deep set resentment against both his brother-in-law and the osteopath.
The prosecutor said: “In the period before he murdered John MacKinnon the accused’s health deteriorated. He was depressed and anxious about his job and his marriage.”
“He had a deep-rooted resentment against two men. He began to take steps to prepare for a violent attack, using a firearm, against one or both of them,” he told the court.
Following today’s sentencing, Scotland’s Procurator Fiscal for homicide, Moira Orr, said: “This has been a traumatic ordeal for all those affected by Finlay MacDonald’s shocking crimes.
“The circumstances of John MacKinnon’s death and the injuries inflicted on Rowena MacDonald and Fay and John MacKenzie are deeply distressing and have had a profound effect on their communities.
“As prosecutors, we ensured that all the admissible evidence ingathered was led at trial in order that justice was delivered for John and the other victims and that ultimately MacDonald faced the consequences of his actions.
“Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those affected at this difficult time.”