Man accused of murdering brother in law with shotgun and attempting to kill wife
He repeatedly fired weapon and used knife, charges state
A MAN appeared in court yesterday charged with killing his brother in law and attempting to murder his wife.
Finlay MacDonald, 39, appeared in private at Inverness Sheriff Court accused of murdering John MacKinnon, 47, on Skye on Wednesday.
MacDonald, from Tarskavaig, Skye, is also charged with attempting to murder his wife Rowena MacDonald, 32, on the same day.
He faces a further charge of the attempted murder of local chiropractor John Don MacKenzie, 63, at Blanuskan, Princes Street, in the mainland village of Dornie, Ross-shire.
‘There was no application for bail’
A fourth charge of attempting to murder Mr MacKenzie’s wife Fay, also 63, was put before the court. The incidents are said to have taken place on Wednesday at Tarskavaig and Dornie.
MacDonald made no plea to allegations of repeatedly discharging a shotgun at his sister’s husband, Mr MacKinnon, shooting him on the body whereby he was severely injured, and murdering him. It is said to have taken place in the village of Teangue, on Skye.
Prior to this, MacDonald is accused of stabbing his spouse with a knife or similar instrument to her severe injury and danger of life.
After Mr MacKinnon’s death, MacDonald is said to have repeatedly used the shotgun on Mr MacKenzie, hitting him on the body to his severe injury and danger of life. Mrs MacKenzie was also shot in the head and body to her severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
MacDonald appeared in Sheriff Court Three at the Inverness Justice Centre before Sheriff Peter Grant-Hutchison.
He was represented by Inverness solicitor John MacColl, who said afterwards: ‘I can confirm there was no application for bail but it would be inappropriate for me to make any further comment at this stage.’
MacDonald was committed for further examination and remanded in custody. He will appear again within the next eight days.
Mr MacKinnon’s family paid tribute to the ‘much-loved’ man.
They said in a statement: ‘John was a loving husband, father of six, brother, uncle and grandfather to his family, and was a muchloved member of the community.’
Torabhaig Distillery on Skye, where Mr MacKinnon worked as a distiller for five years, shut down after the incident.
Mrs MacDonald was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where she was described as being in a serious condition.
Mr MacKenzie remains in a ‘critical’ condition at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
Mrs MacKenzie was taken to Broadford Hospital on Skye but was discharged on Thursday.