A Skye man murdered his brother-in-law during a shootout

A man who carried out a series of shootings in the Scottish Highlands has been sentenced to at least 28 years in prison for murdering his brother-in-law and attempting to kill his wife and two other people.

Finlay MacDonald, 41, repeatedly stabbed his wife Rowena at their home on the Isle of Skye before driving 17 minutes to another village where he shot his brother-in-law John MacKinnon.

The marine engineer then sailed for another 40 minutes before shooting Fay MacKenzie and her husband John in their home on mainland Scotland.

Despite their injuries, the MacKenzies fought back and wrestled the gun away from MacDonald before he was attacked by police.

Father-of-four MacDonald denied all allegations and claimed he was suffering from a mental disorder at the time.

But he was found guilty by a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh, which deliberated for just over two hours.

MacDonald was sentenced to life in prison and given a minimum term of 28 years before he can apply for parole.

Judge Lady Drummond told MacDonald he was guilty of a “series of brutal and senselessly violent attacks” and that statements from Mr MacKinnon’s family had been “heartbreaking to read”.

The attacks occurred over a period of approximately one hour and began before 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, in the final days of the school summer holidays.

The first incident occurred at the MacDonalds family home in Tarskavaig on the Sleat Peninsula, an area in southern Skye where around 750 people live.

MacDonald had a volatile relationship with his wife and suspected she was having an affair.

The court heard he was upset by text messages he saw exchanged between Ms MacDonald, 34, and her boss.

The pair argued over her phone before MacDonald took a knife from his pocket and began stabbing her.

Her four small children heard her screaming and came to the kitchen door. MacDonald continued the attack as his wife tried to leave the house, but the back door was locked.

She told the court She remembered reaching for the phone to raise the alarm and her children being by her side as she grew weaker.

Ms MacDonald heard her husband making several trips to and from their car before driving off.

He walked past her as she lay bleeding outside and tried to call emergency services.

The court later heard he had done it “Enough ammunition to start a small war”.

He then went to his sister Lyn Anne MacKinnon’s home in nearby Teangue.

She was out unpacking her car after a family trip to Glasgow He stopped and walked past her with a gun.

After a few steps he found himself in the house, where he shot her husband John in the kitchen.

MacDonald passed his sister as he walked back to his car but said nothing.

Mrs MacKinnon ran into her house and found her husband standing at the kitchen sink.

The 47-year-old distillery worker collapsed in her arms and died despite the efforts of rescue workers.

Meanwhile, MacDonald was on his way to Dornie.

Police responding to the emergency call about the attack on Rowena MacDonald spotted his Subaru and followed him to the village near Eilean Donan Castle in Wester Ross.

officers was advised not to stop MacDonald They were told armed officers also responded to the incident.

He was on his way to the home of John MacKenzie – a retired osteopath whom MacDonald blamed for aggravating his back injury.

When he arrived, he shot 65-year-old Fay MacKenzie through a window of the house.

Mr. MacKenzie, who had been out feeding pigs, came home and quickly realized something was wrong.

The 65-year-old was shot in the back as he tried to protect his wife as they sought shelter in a bathroom.

The pair then took action against MacDonald. Mr. MacKenzie snatched the gun from him and Mrs MacKenzie hit her attacker with a “heavy” metal toilet roll holder.

She hit MacDonald at least twice before she heard a voice say, “That’s enough.”

That’s when she noticed the police were in the house.

An officer used a spray similar to pepper spray on MacDonald, but it appeared to have no effect. Another officer then hit him with a baton while his colleague used a Taser.

MacDonald’s attacks were carried out with a pump-action shotgun which he bought for £625.

He had had a firearms license for 15 months and told police he owned six guns.

The court heard Mr MacDonald suffered from autism and post-traumatic stress disorder at the time of the attacks with depression, anxiety and a personality disorder in the background.

He told a forensic psychiatrist that he had difficulty dealing with people and situations and that he saw himself as a victim.

MacDonald claimed he had previously been beaten in an argument with Mr MacKinnon and said the incident happened left him feeling humiliated.

Lady Drummond said Mr MacKinnon’s relatives felt they had lost the life and soul of the family.

The judge said he was a loving husband, brother and wonderful father.

She said: “The last two years have been unimaginably difficult for all of them.

“They miss and mourn him every day.”

She said that although the jury rejected a claim of diminished responsibility, MacDonald’s health problems still had to be taken into account and she acknowledged that he had expressed remorse.

Lady Drummond also said the jury rejected a claim that he was provoked to attack his wife “because of sexual infidelity”.

She told MacDonald that the scars he left his wife were a “lasting reminder” of that day.

The judge said the MacKenzies also suffered permanent injuries. Mr MacKenzie had 100 bullet pieces removed from his intestines.

In a statement read outside court, Mr MacKinnons’ family thanked the prosecution and jury for ensuring justice.

They said he left an “incredible legacy” for his six children, who were left “without his love, support, guidance and humor”.

They also thanked the arresting officers for their “incredible courage.”

Det Supt Lorna Ferguson said officers followed MacDonald’s vehicle and put themselves in “extreme danger” by pursuing him into a house while shots were fired.

“Their actions, putting public safety above their own, resulted in this incident ending without further loss of life,” she said.

The attacks sent shockwaves across the Western Highlands, where incidents of extreme violence are rare.

Reverend Gordon Matheson, a local Free Church minister, knew MacDonald because their children were about the same age.

“I met him at the school run and at soccer practice,” he said.

“There is a sense of betrayal throughout the community – one of us has killed another of us.”

Skye and Raasay councilor John Finlayson said: “I don’t think we should underestimate the impact it has had on so many people.”

“Not just those directly affected by the incident, but also the wider community.”

“The affected communities likely still bear the scars and the healing process is still ongoing.”

He added: “I’m sure people will continue to need support.”

“For some there is closure, but for some people that may never happen.”

Additional reporting by Steven Godden, Alasdair Macleod, Morgan Spence, Chris MacLennan, Iain Macinnes and Edinburgh Courts Press Services.