Woman feared she and husband were going to be killed, shooting trial told

A pistillate has told a tribunal she feared she and her hubby were going to dice aft an alleged gunman changeable him astatine “point blank” range.

Fay MacKenzie said she and her hubby fell implicit but her hubby past “rose up” and took the weapon disconnected the man.

She besides told the tribunal however moments earlier the antheral waited for her arsenic she came successful from the patio holding her cereal vessel and changeable her done a window, hitting her successful the face.

Finlay MacDonald, 41, is connected proceedings accused of murdering his brother-in-law, John MacKinnon, and the attempted execution of 3 different people, including his woman connected August 10 2022, each of which helium denies.

I can't retrieve proceeding the bang, I was connected the couch, I thought it's not good, helium indispensable person got the apical of my head. He indispensable person changeable maine twice. My eyes were afloat of blood

Fay MacKenzie, witness

It is alleged that helium repeatedly discharged a shotgun astatine Mr MacKinnon and murdered him successful the colony of Teangue connected Skye that day.

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

He besides denies attempting to execution his wife, Rowena, by repeatedly stabbing her successful the colony of Tarskavaig, connected Skye’s Sleat peninsula that day.

Mrs MacKenzie told the High Court successful Edinburgh that she was eating cereal connected her patio erstwhile she became alert of shouting connected the greeting of August 10 2022 and, erstwhile she went circular the location to investigate, saw a antheral holding a “long bladed gun” astatine his side.

She heard radical shouting astatine her to get backmost wrong truthful she did truthful and described however the antheral past changeable her done the solid window.

Mrs MacKenzie told the court: “I went backmost to the patio inactive holding my vessel of cereal. I went successful and helium was pointing the weapon astatine me, helium was waiting for maine and helium changeable maine successful the face. He was lasting determination pointing the weapon astatine maine erstwhile I came successful done the patio door.”

Advocate depute Liam Ewing KC asked however galore times she was shot.

She replied: “One shot, I can’t retrieve proceeding the bang, I was connected the couch, I thought it’s not good, helium indispensable person got the apical of my head. He indispensable person changeable maine twice. My eyes were afloat of blood.”

Mrs MacKenzie described however she fled to the bathroom, the lone country successful the location with a fastener connected the door, and enactment a towel connected her caput to staunch the blood.

Her husband, John MacKenzie, whom she referred to arsenic John Don, arrived but she past saw the alleged gunman successful the corridor.

She said: “I looked implicit John’s enarthrosis and the antheral was lasting there, dark, tall. He was successful the corridor which is astir 2 feet wide. He changeable John Don astatine constituent blank scope and we some fell down onto the ablution area.

“He was lasting there, the man, and I thought, this is it, this is america going to beryllium killed but past my hubby roseate up and took the weapon disconnected the man.

“I could not spot however helium did it but helium ran out, helium indispensable person pulled it disconnected him.”

Mrs MacKenzie said she past grabbed a “hefty” metallic toilet rotation holder and utilized it to deed the antheral connected the caput a mates of times, past stopped erstwhile she heard a dependable accidental “that volition do” and realised that constabulary were there.

The tribunal heard that her hubby was flown to infirmary by aerial ambulance portion she was treated astatine Broadford Hospital successful Skye and inactive has pellets successful her look and scalp which she said tin consciousness tender.

Finlay MacDonald besides faces a complaint of possession of a shotgun “with intent by means thereof to endanger life”, connected August 10 2022, which helium denies.

He 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.