Finlay MacDonald Sentenced to Life for Isle of Skye Murder and Violent Rampage

MacDonald killed his brother-in-law and attempted to murder three others in a series of brutal attacks across the Isle of Skye and Scottish mainland in 2022.

Finlay MacDonald, 41, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 28 years for the murder of his brother-in-law, John MacKinnon, and the attempted murders of three others.
The attacks began with MacDonald stabbing his wife, Rowena, nine times at their home on the Isle of Skye, leaving her with severe injuries, including punctured lungs.
MacDonald then fatally shot John MacKinnon at his home while MacKinnon was making breakfast for his children, before driving to the mainland and shooting John and Fay MacKenzie at their home in Dornie.
The jury rejected MacDonald's defense of diminished responsibility due to mental health issues, concluding he was fully in control of his actions during the attacks.
The attacks have left lasting trauma for the victims, their families, and the local communities, with calls for inquiries into MacDonald’s legal possession of firearms despite his mental health history.