Skye shooter Finlay MacDonald found guilty of murdering his brother-in-law

A father of four has been found guilty of the murder of his brother in law in a shooting rampage on the Isle of Skye in August 2022.

Finlay MacDonald, 41, was further found guilty of three counts of attempted murder, including of against wife. 

On the morning of August, Finlay MacDonald read texts on his wife’s phone that he falsely believed showed she was having an affair. 

The court heard how the couple’s relationship had broken down in recent months leading to arguments. 

Rowena MacDonald, 34, told the trial Finlay MacDonald unfolded the knife as she sat at the kitchen table and began using it to attack her.

She was asked where he stabbed her and replied: “Everywhere he could.” 

She said: “I was absolutely terrified. It just kept coming and coming. I screamed. The children came to the door from the living room and saw it.” 

When she managed to get outside Rowena made a 999 call.

Her daughter, who was eight at the time, followed her outside and took over the call. 

A police interview was played during the trial showing MacDonald telling officers he stabbed Rowena in a “moment of madness” after reading text messages she sent her boss saying she was going to leave him. 

Finlay MacDonald said after stabbing his wife in the kitchen he felt a “total darkness come over me”. 

While Rowena lay bleeding in the driveway of their home, Finlay MacDonald proceeded to pack the car with his gun, ammunition and a machete.

He then drove 20 minutes to his sister’s house, in the village of Teangue.  

Lyn-Anne MacKinnon was unpacking her car in the driveway when her brother drove up.

She saw him walk inside with a gun in hand. Before Lyn-Anne had time to follow him, she heard the sound of gunshots.

She rushed inside at which point her husband John MacKinnon collapsed in her arms. He died from the gunshot wounds.

The 47 year old was a father of six. 

Meanwhile Finlay MacDonald got in to his car once again, driving a further 40 minutes to the house of his Osteopath. 

Macdonald’s wife Rowena told the High Court in Edinburgh that following treatment with John Mackenzie, MacDonald believed that his back pain was much worse and added: “He told me that he had ruined his life.” 

She said: “He would frequently say, ‘I am going to kill him, bloody kill him for ruining my life.” 

Emergency services were by this point aware of the ongoing incidents and a patrol car spotted MacDonald’s vehicle before he crossed the Skye bridge and on to the mainland. 

When they informed the control room in Dundee, they were told not to intercept as it was now a firearms incident. They were told to follow, but to wait for the firearms unit to arrive. 

This allowed Finlay MacDonald to reach the house of John and Fay Mackenzie, both 65, where he fired through the window of the couple’s house. 

John MacKenzie told the High Court in Edinburgh that he was returning home from feeding pigs at their croft when he heard someone shouting: “Drop the weapon. Drop the weapon.” 

He went inside to find his wife Fay with her face covered in blood and a towel around her head. John said they were in the room when his wife, who was looking over his shoulder, said: “There’s the man. There’s the man.” 

Mr MacKenzie said he put his wife to the floor and told the court: “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 then heard calls of “shots fired, shots fired” before police officers used a Taser.  

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Questions have been raised as to how Finlay Macdonald was able to travel more than 30 miles and carry out his attack over several hours without being stopped. 

David Kennedy, General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation said: “Years gone by police officers would have had a firearm within the safe of the police office.

When they would receive the call, they would be allowed to go in to pick up the gun and they were trained to use it.

We do not have that anymore, and when you’re waiting two to three hours on a firearms team getting to you, then that’s critical. People’s lives are at risk." 

Of the more than 100,000 firearms licenses in Scotland, an estimated quarter of these are in the Scottish Highlands.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Proportionate policing plans for the deployment of armed officers are in place across all communities in Scotland.

However, we do not disclose the specific provision of any policing resources in order to maintain operational integrity." 

Finlay, MacDonald will be sentenced later at the High Court in Edinburgh. 

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