Skye shooting accused said he stabbed wife in ‘moment of madness’, court told

A antheral accused of murdering his brother-in-law and attempting to execution his woman and 2 different radical said helium stabbed her successful a “moment of madness” aft speechmaking substance messages she sent her brag saying she was going to permission him, a tribunal has heard.

The High Court successful Edinburgh was told connected Thursday that successful a constabulary interview, Finlay MacDonald said aft stabbing his woman successful the room of their location connected Skye helium felt a “total acheronian travel implicit me”.

He said helium past got into his car with a shotgun and a “machete-type knife” earlier carrying retired the different alleged attacks, jurors heard.

His eight-year-old girl came extracurricular conscionable arsenic helium was leaving, and arsenic helium drove disconnected helium could spot his injured woman “lying down connected the ground” outside, helium said successful the interview.

MacDonald, 41, is connected proceedings accused of murdering his brother-in-law John MacKinnon connected August 10, 2022 by repeatedly discharging a shotgun astatine him successful the colony of Teangue connected Skye.

He is accused of firing a shotgun astatine joined mates Fay and John MacKenzie and attempting to execution them successful the colony of Dornie, Wester Ross, connected the aforesaid day.

He is besides accused of attempting to execution his wife, Rowena, by repeatedly stabbing her successful the colony of Tarskavaig, connected Skye’s Sleat peninsula, besides connected August 10.

In addition, MacDonald faces a complaint of possession of a shotgun “with intent by means thereof to endanger life”.

He denies each the charges against him.

On Thursday, the tribunal was shown footage of a constabulary interrogation with MacDonald astatine an Inverness constabulary presumption the time aft the alleged attacks.

In it, MacDonald, draped with what appeared to beryllium a bluish blanket, explained his beingness had been connected a “downward spiral” successful the months starring up to the incident.

He said helium was suffering from a fig of carnal problems that near him successful symptom and incapable to work, including a lung information and a displaced bony successful his chest.

He added that erstwhile helium went for osteopathy attraction from Mr MacKenzie, helium was “subjected to a brutal manipulation” which near him successful “chronic pain”.

He said this near him with spinal problems that helium felt had “taken (his) beingness chances away”.

MacDonald besides told constabulary however his matrimony suffered arsenic a effect of his deteriorating intelligence and carnal health.

He said his woman “resented” his wellness conditions and became acold towards him, and that she had told him she did not emotion him immoderate more.

This came to a head, helium said, connected the greeting of August 10, erstwhile aft becoming “suspicious” helium looked astatine his wife’s telephone and saw substance messages betwixt her and her brag successful which she said she was going to permission MacDonald.

He said aft confronting his woman astir the messages, she tried to drawback his phone, which had pictures of the substance messages, and that the brace “wrestled” earlier helium stabbed her with a weapon helium had been utilizing for whittling wood.

“I conscionable had a infinitesimal of madness and past I realised what I had done and I conscionable broke down,” helium said successful the interview.

He explained helium “didn’t cognize what I was going to do” erstwhile helium got into his car with a shotgun, “a mates of hundred” cartridges and a knife, but that helium began reasoning astir grievances with his brother-in-law and osteopath.

The tribunal heard helium told constabulary helium archetypal drove to Mr McKinnon’s house, wherever helium “confronted him and said helium had bullied maine and helium is horrible to me”.

He said his brother-in-law “came towards me” and helium changeable him twice, erstwhile successful the beforehand and erstwhile successful the side.

He said helium past drove the 10-15 miles to Mr MacKenzie’s house, and that helium fired done the model erstwhile cipher appeared to beryllium there.

MacDonald told constabulary Mr MacKenzie past came retired of the house, and that the brace went into the room wherever they began “wrestling” for the gun, earlier it “went off”, the tribunal heard.

He said helium adjacent remembered being tasered by police, who the tribunal earlier heard had followed him to Mr MacKenzie’s house.

MacDonald has lodged a peculiar defence against the execution charge, claiming his “ability to find oregon power his behaviour was substantially impaired by crushed of abnormality of mind”, and a justice said helium could beryllium convicted of an alternate complaint of culpable homicide if the assemblage believed his defence of diminished responsibility.

The proceedings continues successful beforehand of Judge Lady Drummond.