Behind the scenic facade, dark toll of shocking crime

A MAGNET for tourists because of its breathtaking scenery, Skye has rarely been the scene of murder and violence.

However, in recent years a number of high-profile crimes have taken place on the island, with two of the most prominent cases being attacks involving family members.

In 2015, a pensioner was jailed for life after murdering her husband by stamping and kicking him to death.

Sandra Bruce, who was 61 when she was jailed, killed her then 64year-old husband Norman at their home in Breakish on the south of the island in 2014.

The attack was said to have been caused by a row over quitting smoking and a pack of cigarettes. Bruce was said to have smirked when shown images of her partner’s dead body, although she told the High Court in Glasgow that she could not remember the assault.

Mr Bruce was found to have suffered 20 rib fractures, several facial injuries and bruising.

Another high-profile crime on Skye came at Hogmanay in 2018 when a man tried to murder his mother for ‘being cheeky’.

Ronald MacIver, 50, grabbed Alexandra MacIver by the throat and shook her, then repeatedly punched and kicked her, breaking her cheekbone and fracturing her eye socket.

MacIver, who was found guilty and jailed for ten years in 2021, called the police after the attack.

The High Court in Glasgow heard he had told the 999 call handler: ‘You’d better send the police. I’ve just killed my mother stone dead.’

He said his elderly mother was ‘being cheeky’ and he had lost his temper.

However, his defence team denied the charge in court, stating that someone else had assaulted Mrs MacIver at her home in Portree.

She said she could not recall the attack and told prosecutor Kath Harper: ‘One minute I was putting shopping away and the next minute I was in Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.’

MacIver had previous convictions for assault. The court heard that he suffered from druginduced psychosis.