Skye shooting suspect accused of stabbing wife after discovering messages with colleague

Get the latest Daily Record breaking news on WhatsApp

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info

Join us on WhatsApp

A man accused of murdering his brother-in-law launched a knife attack on his wife after he discovered messages on her phone with a work colleague, a court heard.

Rowena MacDonald 34 said her husband Finlay MacDonald was "upset and angry" and added: "He thought I was having an affair." She told the High Court in Edinburgh: "He kept saying 'What's this. What's going on?'."

The mother of four said she was getting ready to leave for work at the family home in Skye when she discovered he had taken pictures with his phone of messages on her phone from a colleague.

She said it probably did come across as "a little flirty" but she was not looking for a relationship with him and regarded him as a friend. Advocate depute Liam Ewing KC asked if at the time they were just friends or more than friends and she replied: "Just friends."

She said she told her husband: "I said I wasn't in any other relationship with anybody. He did seem to momentarily settle and put his phone in his pocket but it was shortly after he pulled out his knife from his pocket and started stabbing me."

She said MacDonald unfolded the knife and began using it to attack her. She was asked where he stabbed her and replied: "Everywhere he could." She said: "I was absolutely terrified. It just kept coming and coming."

"I screamed. The children came to the door from the living room and saw it." she told the court. She tried to get away but said her husband followed her and stabbed her in the back and she found the rear door of the property locked.

The attack continued and she said she was bleeding a lot but managed to get outside. She made a 999 call and her daughter, who was eight, followed her outside and took over, with the handler telling the child to keep speaking to her mother.

Her husband drove off and paramedics and police arrived at the house and she was taken by air ambulance to a hospital in Glasgow. She said at the time of the attack on her her husband, a marine engineer, was off work. She said their relationship was not in a good place and she was planning to move out of the then family home.

MacDonald,41, is accused of attempting to murder his wife, Rowena MacDonald, at an address in the village of Tarskavaig on the Isle of Skye on August 10 in 2022 by struggling with her and repeatedly stabbing her on the body with a knife to her severe injury, permanent disfigurement and impairment and to the danger of her life.

Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!

Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.

You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.

No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.

All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!

If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.

We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like.

To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.

If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

He is also accused of murdering his brother-in-law, John MacKinnon, at his home in the Skye village of Teangue on the same day after repeatedly discharging a shotgun at him and striking him on the body. He is accused of attempting to murder Fay MacKenzie at her home in the mainland Ross-shire village of Dornie on the same date by repeatedly firing a shotgun at her, striking her on the head and body to her severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of her life.

He is also charged with attempting to murder John MacKenzie at the same address in Dornie on the same day by discharging a shotgun at him, striking him on the body to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of his life. MacDonald faces a further charge under the Firearms Act that on August 10 in 2022 at addresses in the Skye villages and at the house in Dornie and elsewhere he possessed a shotgun with intent to endanger life.

MacDonald has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has lodged a special defence to the murder charge maintaining that at the time his ability to determine or control his conduct was substantially impaired by abnormality of mind. The trial before judge Lady Drummond continues.

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter .

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.