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Britain's Countryside Killers - Season 2 Episode 8 -Season 2 Episode 8 englishsubtitle fullfilm❌❌ Secret Engagement
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00:01Isle of Skye, Scotland, August 2022.
00:05A woman is viciously attacked in front of her own children.
00:10During the assault, she feigned death
00:13and then contacted the ambulance and police.
00:16However, due to her strength diminishing,
00:19she was forced to pass the phone to her eight-year-old daughter.
00:23As paramedics attend to the victim,
00:26police get a report of another serious incident.
00:30Shotgun blasts, potential murder.
00:32This was one thing after the other.
00:36He needs to be caught quick
00:37because the police inevitably are thinking,
00:40what would he be like saying?
00:41Effectively, what you've got here is an act of sure.
00:44He was heading to the house of an osteopath
00:48because he wanted to exact revenge.
00:53It was just an extremely evil set of actions.
01:00Thanks.
01:01I do have to follow the pain in vain.
01:29His name is cast.
01:36Isle of Skye is a remote region of Scotland's north-west coast,
01:41known for its rugged scenery, fishing villages and peaceful communities.
01:49Skye is one of the most beautiful places in Scotland.
01:53Anyone you meet that visits Scotland, you ask them where they want to go, they want to go and visit
01:58Skye.
01:59You wouldn't think that you were actually in Scotland, it is so surreal up there.
02:06A lot of historical landmarks, picturesque fishing villages.
02:13The Isle of Skye, it's the largest island of the Inner Hebrides and it's located off the west coast of
02:20the Scottish Highlands.
02:22It's connected to the mainland via the Skye Bridge.
02:26It's typically known for its dramatic scenery.
02:30And this creates a community who live there full time.
02:35Very sort of inwardly looking but a trusting community, close-knit.
02:40Everybody tends to know each other.
02:43And that stems from the historical ages.
02:45It's always been the same families that have lived there over the years.
02:49And it's known for having a very low crime rate also.
02:53The police are troubled by really, it's nothing more than a bit of antisocial behaviour.
02:57Nothing else really.
03:01However, on the 10th of August 2022, a disturbing 999 call would change everything.
03:11It was the morning of the 10th of August 2022.
03:15Two minutes past 9 in the morning.
03:17Police receive a very distressing phone call.
03:21A 32-year-old woman had been attacked in her home and she had received several very serious stab wounds
03:28to her body.
03:30That was a woman called Rowena MacDonald, a mother of four.
03:35Police were called to 24 tasks away in the Isle of Skye.
03:40Before the police arrived, the attacker had left.
03:44During the course of the attack, she feigned death by laying on the ground still, despite bleeding profusely.
03:52That appears to have stopped any further damage being inflicted to her.
03:57There was at least nine stab wounds across her chest, face, arms and back,
04:03where it punctured her lung and she was collapsed on the floor in front of her children.
04:10Now, when the attacker had left the locus, she managed to reach her mobile phone and contact emergency services.
04:19Now, just before she was running out of strength due to the nature of the attack.
04:24She was able to pass the phone across to her eight-year-old daughter to explain what she had seen.
04:30Her father slicing her poor mother to within an inch of her life.
04:36The father had left his wife, he believed to be dead, on the floor of their house.
04:41Had armed himself with a pump-action shotgun, which he held legally with a license.
04:49As much ammunition as he could carry and a machete, piled it into his car, Subaru Impressor, and headed off
04:55immediately.
04:57The medical team came upon a scene of absolute horror, and they found Rowena and MacDonald, barely alive, on the
05:04floor, being cradled by her eight-year-old daughter.
05:08Immediately, the concern would be over preservation of life.
05:12Here we have a victim that's been stabbed on multiple occasions, clearly bleeding profusely.
05:17So it would just be the case of getting her immediate medical help.
05:23Rowena had to be airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow to receive the appropriate treatment that she
05:30would need, having the injuries that she sustained.
05:33When police attend the scene, they would enter the scene being very careful and assess the crime scene.
05:39Police would establish how many children were present.
05:42They would ensure that all the children are still there, there's no children missing, and they would assess the children
05:48for injuries also.
05:50The crime scene would then be assessed, and that would be taped off.
05:54It would be protected by uniformed police officers.
05:58The only people that would be allowed in the crime scene would be the relevant forensic experts and the crime
06:05scene manager,
06:05who would coordinate all activity in relation to the crime scene.
06:10The police would try and get as much information as they could at the time from the victim.
06:17In this instance, it would have been extremely difficult to get that, due to the scale of injuries that Rowena
06:23sustained.
06:24Police would have also spoke to the children through highly trained police officers.
06:30It's different when you speak to children as witnesses.
06:33It has to be done by specially trained officers.
06:36However, in this instance, the suspect's still on the loose.
06:41Immediately, on police arrival, when they've assessed for injuries, ensured that everyone's safe and well,
06:46they would speak to the children to see what they've seen.
06:50This was virtually unprecedented in the lives of all those police.
06:54They'd never been confronted with something like this,
06:56and immediately had to send all forces available to see what can be done,
07:00and of course, start a manhunt.
07:04I was on duty early that morning.
07:06We have a command and control system which documents every call that comes in.
07:12Each call there is graded Priority 1 to Priority 5.
07:16Priority 5 is non-urgent matters, like appointments.
07:20Priority 3s are shopliftings where the defender isn't present.
07:24Priority 1s are anything involving a firearm, any life-at-risk calls,
07:29and any high-risk missing persons.
07:30I remember this one coming in as a Priority 1 call.
07:34Police barely have a chance to begin the investigation
07:37before emergency services receive another unprecedented call.
07:42At 9.30am, police receive another call.
07:46In a nearby village called Teague,
07:49which is approximately about a 17-minute drive from the initial locus,
07:54there, there was another extremely serious crime that took place.
07:58It was a firearms incident.
08:00A pump-action shotgun had been used
08:02to target a 47-year-old male called John McKinnon.
08:08John McKinnon is the brother-in-law of Rowena MacDonald.
08:13Police then believe these two incidents, half an hour apart, are linked.
08:19John and his wife had just returned that morning
08:22from a family trip to Glasgow.
08:24At 9.15am, John McKinnon's wife, Lynne-Anne McKinnon,
08:30heard a noisy car pulling up the house.
08:33When she went outside to investigate this,
08:35she met her brother, Finlay MacDonald,
08:38the husband of Rowena MacDonald carrying a pump-action shotgun.
08:46She asked her brother what was going on
08:48and Finlay MacDonald ignored her
08:50and walked straight past her into the house.
08:53He went straight into the kitchen
08:55and brutally shot dead his own brother-in-law, John McKinnon.
09:04He was shot at close range
09:06and he died in his wife's arms.
09:11By the time emergency services arrive on the scene,
09:1639-year-old Finlay MacDonald has already fled.
09:20Once again, police arrive to the scene within minutes.
09:25They are accompanied by a medical team,
09:27which includes two GPs and a number of paramedics.
09:31And they make attempts to save John McKinnon's life.
09:34But unfortunately, that wasn't to be.
09:41Police are now acutely aware
09:44they have two major crime scenes
09:46within half an hour of each other,
09:47within a 20-minute drive of each other.
09:49And they have a suspect, Finlay MacDonald.
09:53They immediately draft in police help
09:56from throughout the Highlands to hunt this man down
09:59because this man has brutally murdered a man
10:01and also attempted to murder his own wife
10:04in a very short period of time.
10:08He needs to be caught.
10:09He needs to be caught quick
10:11because the police inevitably are thinking,
10:14what can they do next?
10:16With the firearms team basted in Van Ness,
10:19nearly 100 miles from where MacDonald killed John McKinnon,
10:23the question remained.
10:24Could they possibly arrive in time
10:26to prevent another attack?
10:41On the 10th of August, 2022,
10:46in Tarskavag, Isle of Skye,
10:48Finlay MacDonald brutally stabs his wife, Rowena,
10:52in front of their children.
10:54Thinking her dead,
10:56he drives to the neighboring village of Teak
10:58and shoots his brother-in-law, John McKinnon,
11:01leaving him to die in the arms of his wife, Lynn Ann,
11:05who is also Finlay's sister.
11:08As police desperately await the arrival of a firearms team,
11:12they do all they can to de-escalate the situation.
11:17Due to the rural landscape,
11:19there's quite a lot of area
11:20for a police double-crewed vehicle to cover.
11:23In these areas,
11:24police can be covering hundreds of square miles themselves.
11:29However, due to the police being contacted
11:31for the first instant
11:32and then again the second instant,
11:34a uniformed mobile patrol car
11:35observed Finlay MacDonald's Subaru Impressor motor vehicle.
11:40They were provided with instructions
11:43to maintain safe observations.
11:45Do not approach him.
11:47That was because of the firearms threat.
11:49These police officers were not firearms trained.
11:52What they had to protect themselves
11:53was a baton, handcuffs and a taser.
11:57So they were advised to maintain safe observations
12:00until an armed response crew attended
12:03who could take over.
12:05There would have been intelligence officers
12:06carrying out background checks
12:08in relation to Finlay MacDonald.
12:11That would involve checks on his vehicle,
12:13his background check,
12:15his criminal history check,
12:16not just in Scotland but elsewhere.
12:19Intelligence checks would include
12:21is he on the firearms register?
12:23How many firearms does he have access to?
12:25Is he a threat to the wider community?
12:27It would also be attempting to identify
12:30what digital devices does he have access to.
12:34And that would be if they lost him,
12:36which is a high chance
12:37they could then ping his phone
12:39and see where he was.
12:42It's very challenging
12:43to get the information
12:44and build a picture
12:45whilst the crime is ongoing.
12:46There would have been officers
12:47that were obtaining information
12:49and processing that
12:51and attempting to do
12:52the various background checks.
12:54However, it's an ever-changing situation
12:55at that time.
12:57In an ideal world,
12:58they would have been able
12:59to get a lot of information
13:01from his wife.
13:02However, due to the serious injury
13:04she sustained,
13:05that was not possible.
13:06So the police were trying to work
13:07with what they had at that time.
13:09He was a firearms enthusiast.
13:11He had a firearms certificate
13:13and he actually possessed six weapons
13:16including a pump-action shotgun.
13:20If Finlay MacDonald
13:21wants to stop his car
13:22while he's being pursued
13:23by unarmed officers
13:24and get out and fire at them,
13:26they've got no protection whatsoever.
13:28That's why it was so critical
13:30in this case
13:31for the firearms teams
13:32to get there as soon as possible.
13:36The police are having to think ahead
13:38and close off
13:39all different routes
13:40where he can go
13:41to protect the public
13:42from populated areas,
13:44from other people's houses
13:46and they'll also be trying to identify
13:48who else has Finlay MacDonald
13:50got a grudge against.
13:52We don't know how much ammo he's got also.
13:55We don't know if he's working
13:55alongside anyone else.
13:57Is it a terrorist attack?
13:59There would have been numerous
14:01and hundreds of resources
14:02pulled in at that time.
14:05The traffic department
14:07would have been deployed,
14:08the armed response vehicles,
14:10tactical firearms unit,
14:12dog branch
14:12and public order unit
14:14would have all been deployed
14:15at that time
14:15and officers that
14:16were following him,
14:17it would have been
14:18a tense moment for them.
14:19They didn't know
14:20what he was capable of.
14:21They just knew
14:22that there was a maniac
14:23with a shotgun
14:24going about shooting people
14:26and they had to do
14:27all that they can
14:27to stop them.
14:30Police would have been
14:30feeling absolute panic
14:32because they were aware
14:33that they had this madman
14:35who had almost murdered
14:36his wife
14:37and brutally murdered
14:38his brother-in-law.
14:40He had a pump-action shotgun.
14:42Where was he going to go next?
14:44What was he going to do?
14:46Police rightfully knew
14:47they were in a race
14:48against time
14:49to catch him
14:50before other people
14:51lost their lives.
14:54MacDonald then goes
14:55to the bridge
14:56that connects
14:57the Isle of Skye
14:58to mainland Scotland.
15:00He goes over the bridge
15:01and the police don't know
15:02where he's going
15:03or what his plans are.
15:06Once he'd gone over the bridge
15:08to the mainland,
15:09he could go anywhere in Scotland,
15:10even though one single car
15:11was in pursuit after him.
15:14They really had no control
15:15of where he was going
15:16or what he could do
15:17once he'd reached the mainland.
15:20Officers following Finlay note,
15:22he seems to be preparing
15:23to make a stop.
15:26He goes to a village
15:27called Dorney
15:28and it is in the village
15:30of Dorney
15:30that he visits a house,
15:32a very specific house.
15:34This house belonged
15:36to a retired osteopath,
15:38John McKenzie,
15:39who lived there
15:39with his wife, Faye.
15:42He pulled up outside
15:44and made his way
15:45towards the house,
15:47in particular
15:48towards the living room window.
15:50At this point,
15:51he's still armed
15:51with the same shotgun
15:52that he'd used
15:53to kill John McKinnon.
15:55And he positions himself
15:57two or three foot away
15:59from that living room window
16:00and waits for someone
16:03to enter the room.
16:05Police had been
16:06in hot pursuit
16:06of McDonald's
16:07and had arrived
16:08at the McKenzie home
16:09almost immediately afterwards.
16:11They then were able
16:12to shout across
16:13to McDonald's,
16:14don't do whatever
16:15you're planning to do,
16:16put the guns down.
16:17McDonald's ignored
16:19everything they said.
16:21He stands at the living room window
16:23and observes Faye McKenzie
16:25go into the living room.
16:26He then lifts the shotgun up
16:28and fires two shots
16:30into the living room
16:31through the window.
16:34The discharge of the shotgun
16:35shatters the glass
16:37off the window
16:37and results in
16:39very serious injuries
16:40to Faye.
16:42He then enters the property
16:44and goes into the living room
16:46where John McKenzie
16:47is attending
16:48to his wife.
16:50He then fires a shot
16:51into the left-hand side
16:53of John McKenzie,
16:55leaving a very large
16:56gaping wound,
16:58again causing blood loss
17:00and very serious injury.
17:03Despite having just had
17:04a shotgun wound,
17:05John McKenzie
17:06wrestles
17:07Finley McDonald
17:08in an attempt to try
17:09and get the firearm.
17:12Whilst they are wrestling,
17:13Faye McKenzie
17:14at this point
17:15also very seriously injured,
17:17very rarely steps forward
17:18and grabs a metal
17:20toilet roll holder
17:21and uses it to strike
17:22Finley McDonald
17:23to again assist
17:25and protect her husband.
17:28At the same time,
17:29police make their way
17:31into the property.
17:33The bravery of the police
17:34at that time
17:35was not to be underestimated.
17:36They weren't in possession
17:38of firearms.
17:39It was purely
17:40batons and tasers
17:41that they were equipped with.
17:43They went in and saw
17:44that Finley still had
17:45somewhat control
17:46of the firearm.
17:46They deployed their
17:48taser and batons
17:49to subdue him
17:50and effectively
17:51disarm him
17:52and at that point
17:53he was placed
17:53under arrest
17:55and that brought
17:56an end
17:57to what was
17:57that hour-long
17:58episode of violence
18:00from Finley McDonald.
18:03It would have been
18:04a very traumatic
18:05incident for the officers.
18:08They knew
18:09what he was going to do.
18:10They knew
18:10and observed him
18:12walk into
18:12John McKenzie's house
18:14but they're getting told
18:15by their bosses
18:17don't go in
18:18but ultimately
18:19they took that decision
18:20to go in
18:20and subdue him
18:21and the bravery
18:23is off the charts
18:24and it was
18:25a great judgement call
18:26for them to do that.
18:28They put
18:29the public safety
18:30above their own
18:30and managed
18:32to go in
18:32and successfully
18:33subdue him.
18:33There were so many
18:34other things
18:35that could have went wrong
18:36in that scenario
18:37but they maintained
18:38professionalism
18:39and maintained
18:40close cover
18:41close contact
18:41especially
18:42when they were
18:43following him.
18:45They were following him
18:46for about
18:4640 minutes
18:48which is a long time
18:49and Finley McDonald
18:51knew exactly
18:52what he was doing.
18:53He wasn't faced
18:53with the police.
18:54He would have no
18:55second thoughts
18:56about turning the gun
18:56on them
18:57if he was given
18:58an opportunity.
19:01Faye McKenzie
19:02received horrific
19:03injuries to her face
19:05when a shotgun's fired
19:07due to the type
19:08of ammunition
19:09that's contained
19:09within it
19:10when the impact
19:11occurs
19:11it releases
19:12a number of pellets
19:13hundreds at a time
19:15and Faye
19:16ended up
19:17sustaining
19:17a lot of these
19:18pellet injuries
19:19into her face
19:19which were embedded.
19:22John McKenzie
19:23received horrific injuries
19:25also
19:26he received
19:27approximately
19:28100 pellets
19:29into his bowel
19:30he had lost
19:31a kidney
19:3230 other pellets
19:33entered other organs
19:34in his body.
19:36While John McKinnon's
19:38life was tragically
19:39cut short
19:40the three others
19:42narrowly escaped
19:43the same fate.
19:44Rowena McDonald
19:45spent six weeks
19:46in hospital
19:47after being stabbed
19:48at least nine times
19:50while John McKenzie
19:51underwent emergency
19:53surgery
19:54to remove a kidney
19:55and dozens
19:56of shotgun pellets
19:57his wife Faye
19:58survived a shot
20:00to the face
20:00though to this day
20:02she still carries
20:03the physical remnants
20:04of the attack
20:05with lead pellets
20:06remaining embedded
20:07in her skin.
20:09The very next day
20:11the 11th of August
20:122022
20:13he is taken to court
20:14he is charged
20:15with a murder
20:16and three attempted murders.
20:19He pleases not guilty
20:21he attempts to blame
20:24his mental health
20:26issues
20:26saying that he suffered
20:28an absence of mind
20:29and thought
20:29during the attacks
20:31prosecution
20:32were determined
20:33to prove
20:33that these attacks
20:35were carried out
20:35in a controlled
20:36and calculated
20:37manner.
20:38While the defense
20:39seeks leniency
20:41through a plea
20:41of mental instability
20:43the prosecution
20:44prepares to paint
20:45a very different picture
20:47they intend
20:48to show the court
20:49that McDonald's
20:50trail of violence
20:51across the Isle of Skye
20:52was a sheer act
20:54of malice.
21:07Edinburgh High Court
21:09November
21:102024
21:12Finley McDonald
21:13stands trial
21:14for the murder
21:15of John McKinnon
21:16and the attempted murder
21:17of three others
21:18his wife
21:19Rowena
21:20and John and Faye McKenzie.
21:22The defense
21:23is building a case
21:24for diminished responsibility
21:25pointing to McDonald's
21:27history of mental health
21:28struggles.
21:29However
21:30prosecutors
21:30tell a different story
21:32one of a man
21:33who didn't act
21:34on impulse
21:35but with deliberate
21:36deadly intent.
21:39The trial
21:40of Finley McDonald
21:41took place
21:41on the 13th
21:42of November
21:422024
21:43at Edinburgh High Court
21:45and it lasted
21:46just under two weeks.
21:47Now at this point
21:48Finley was 41 years old.
21:51The trial took
21:52two years
21:52to come to court
21:53due to the fact
21:54that all three
21:55surviving victims
21:56had to recover
21:57from their injuries
21:58and also the multitude
22:00of psychiatric
22:01and psychological
22:02testing that had
22:03to be done
22:04on McDonald himself.
22:06He attempts to blame
22:09his mental health
22:10issues
22:11saying that he suffered
22:13an absence of mind
22:14and thought
22:14during the attacks.
22:16McDonald had a history
22:18of mental health problems.
22:19He was known
22:19to be an introverted
22:21character
22:22was described
22:24as very awkward
22:25around people
22:26and his mental health
22:28problems
22:29were to form
22:29the basis
22:30of his defense
22:31when he stood trial
22:32for murder
22:32and attempted murder.
22:35McDonald's defense team
22:36set out to show
22:38that he had
22:38a troubled past
22:39hoping to uncover
22:41long-standing
22:42mental health struggles
22:43that might explain
22:45to the jury
22:45why a seemingly
22:46ordinary man
22:48reached such
22:49a violent
22:49breaking point.
22:51Finley McDonald
22:52was a 39-year-old male
22:54at the time.
22:54He was married
22:55to Rowena McDonald
22:56and they had
22:57four children together
22:58and they stayed
23:00in the family home
23:01which was within
23:01close proximity
23:03of the wider
23:04McDonald family.
23:05He was employed
23:06locally
23:07as a marine engineer.
23:10Now historically
23:11he worked in Glasgow
23:12and was a
23:14nightclub bouncer
23:16in a really popular
23:17night spot
23:18in Glasgow
23:19called The Garage.
23:23He worked there
23:24whilst he was studying
23:26at the city's
23:27nautical college.
23:28McDonald was known
23:29to have various
23:30mental health challenges.
23:33During the legal
23:34proceedings
23:35he was seen
23:36by a number
23:36of psychiatrists
23:37and psychologists
23:37and he was diagnosed
23:39as suffering
23:39with depression,
23:41post-traumatic stress
23:42disorder
23:42and having
23:43a personality disorder
23:44and it was found
23:45that he was
23:46on the spectrum
23:46for autism.
23:48Amongst his
23:49former colleagues
23:50they would have
23:50described him
23:51as someone
23:51who was a bit
23:52awkward,
23:53a bit more
23:54introverted
23:55and lacked
23:56awareness of humour.
23:58or different
23:59social cues.
24:01They also had
24:02a couple of
24:02nicknames for him
24:03and I think
24:04that that was
24:04more just
24:05down to his
24:05general persona.
24:07One of those
24:07nicknames was
24:08Furious Finlay
24:09and that was
24:10down to his
24:11moody
24:12and serious
24:14demeanour.
24:15The other
24:16was Robocop
24:17and that was
24:18down to his
24:19inability to
24:20detect jokes
24:21and to
24:23take things
24:24that were
24:24said very
24:25illiterally.
24:27I think that
24:28that isolated
24:29him socially.
24:32When the news
24:33broke of this
24:33incident having
24:34occurred in Sky,
24:36it came to the
24:36mind of some
24:37of his former
24:38employees that he
24:39may have been
24:40involved and it
24:41came as no
24:41surprise that he
24:42was ultimately
24:43involved.
24:45MacDonald was
24:46a firearms
24:48enthusiast.
24:48In fact,
24:49he had six
24:49weapons in
24:50total.
24:52He held a
24:53firearms
24:53certificate and
24:54prior to the
24:55instance, he'd
24:56held that for
24:56about 15
24:57months.
24:58He owned a
24:59Morseberg 410
25:00pump-action
25:01shotgun, later
25:02confirmed to be
25:03the murder
25:04weapon and the
25:05weapon used in
25:05the various
25:06attempted murders.
25:07He bought that
25:08for £625.
25:11It's very
25:12uncommon in
25:12Scotland to
25:13possess a
25:14firearm.
25:14Normally,
25:15firearm
25:15certificate
25:16holders are
25:17members of
25:18gun clubs,
25:18farmers, but
25:20someone that's
25:21not a member
25:22of a gun
25:23club, a
25:23firearms
25:23club, not
25:24a farmer who
25:25utilises it in
25:26the course of
25:26their work, is
25:27very uncommon.
25:29However, areas
25:30like Sky and
25:32more rural
25:32areas, there's
25:33more likely to
25:34be a higher
25:34percentage of
25:35the population
25:36that do have
25:37firearm
25:37certificates as
25:39opposed to
25:39urban
25:39environments.
25:40It's just
25:40due to the
25:41culture within
25:42the areas.
25:43Square gun
25:43clubs and
25:44hunting are
25:45known as
25:45enjoyable
25:46pastimes.
25:48He worked
25:49out, he
25:50modelled his
25:50physique on
25:51his Hollywood
25:52hero because
25:53he had his
25:53love of
25:54action movies.
25:55He liked
25:56gun films,
25:57war films,
25:58and he
25:59admired the
26:00Rambo film and
26:01thought he was
26:02a sort of
26:02Rambo type
26:03himself.
26:04He was a
26:05really big,
26:06strong guy who
26:08possessed an
26:08arsenal of
26:09weapons.
26:10Even though he
26:11was quite quiet
26:12and introverted,
26:13his interests
26:13and his
26:14appearance made
26:15him very
26:16intimidating.
26:17When you
26:17couple that
26:18with his
26:19access to
26:19firearms and
26:21his state of
26:21mind at the
26:21time, it
26:22makes a very
26:23dangerous
26:24individual.
26:25Although he
26:26struggled socially,
26:27investigators
26:28questioned whether
26:29more personal
26:30factors motivated
26:31Finlay's
26:32actions.
26:32McDonald
26:34denied all
26:35charges and
26:37lodged a
26:38special defence
26:38of diminished
26:39responsibility,
26:41claiming that
26:42his actions
26:42were due to
26:43abnormality of
26:44the mind.
26:45The defence
26:46claimed that
26:47he had
26:48experienced a
26:49severe mental
26:51episode,
26:53brought about
26:54because of
26:55marital stress,
26:56chronic pain,
26:58and undiagnosed
27:00autism.
27:02They stated
27:03that he
27:04descended into
27:05total darkness
27:06and as a
27:07result of that,
27:08conducted or
27:09carried out
27:10numerous acts
27:11of impulsive
27:12violence.
27:13Once it
27:14appeared in
27:15court, the
27:15defence threw
27:16its entire
27:16focus on his
27:18mental issues,
27:19that this was
27:19a one-off
27:20moment caused
27:21by the
27:22breakdown of
27:22his marriage,
27:23by his
27:24mental issues,
27:25and was not
27:25related to the
27:26fact that he
27:27was a violent
27:27man.
27:29This is not
27:30unusual for a
27:31mental health
27:32defence,
27:33particularly in
27:33the last 30
27:34or so years,
27:35to be at the
27:36absolute front
27:37of a defence,
27:38particularly when
27:38there's such
27:39overwhelming
27:39evidence.
27:40It's the need
27:41to find out
27:42why, rather
27:43than the need
27:43to punish
27:44someone who
27:44had clearly
27:45done the
27:45crime.
27:48Before these
27:49incidents took
27:50place, the
27:51relationship
27:52between Rowena
27:52and Finlay
27:53was strained,
27:54and Rowena
27:55had already
27:55started to
27:56make plans to
27:57leave the
27:57family home.
27:59Finlay
28:00started to
28:00suspect that
28:01this may
28:01have been
28:02for someone
28:02else.
28:03During the
28:04course of
28:04having thoughts
28:05like that,
28:06he accessed
28:06her phone,
28:07using her
28:07PIN number,
28:08and started
28:08to look
28:09through her
28:09text messages.
28:10Now, over
28:11the course
28:11of looking
28:12through her
28:12text messages,
28:13he saw
28:13some text
28:14messages which
28:15she was
28:16discussing,
28:17leaving him
28:17and ending
28:17the relationship.
28:20He'd been
28:20going through
28:21a tough time
28:21in the marriage,
28:22and when he
28:23saw this on
28:24the phone,
28:24he didn't
28:25react too
28:26kindly to it.
28:27He does
28:28confront Rowena
28:28about the
28:29text messages,
28:30and it's at that
28:31point that he
28:32produces a knife
28:33and begins
28:34violently assaulting
28:35her.
28:37Rather than
28:38talking things
28:40through in a
28:40rational way,
28:42he reacts
28:43completely abnormally
28:44in a murderous
28:46fit of rage,
28:47and subjects her
28:48to a very
28:48ferocious,
28:49physical,
28:50violent attack.
28:53Macdonald would
28:54have been fully
28:54aware that there
28:55were going to be
28:56very serious
28:56consequences for
28:57the attack on
28:58his wife.
29:01Certainly
29:02murderous rampages
29:03are rare,
29:04but I've seen
29:05many times
29:05domestic attacks
29:07escalate because
29:08of tension in a
29:09marriage or tension
29:10in family
29:11relationships.
29:13but very,
29:14very rarely
29:14have I ever
29:15seen it to
29:16such an extent
29:16that he was
29:17prepared to make
29:18three separate
29:19attacks on three
29:20separate households
29:21in front of
29:22children.
29:26Finley Macdonald
29:27is what we would
29:28call a spree
29:29killer,
29:29and a spree
29:30killer is
29:30basically someone
29:31who commits
29:32a killing or
29:33killings or
29:34a number of
29:34attacks in a
29:35short period of
29:36time.
29:36It could be
29:37days,
29:38it could be
29:38hours,
29:39or in this
29:40case,
29:40minutes.
29:42Usually with
29:43spree killers,
29:43they will attack
29:45random people,
29:46spontaneous
29:47victims,
29:47basically people
29:48that they encounter
29:49whilst they go
29:49from one location
29:50to another,
29:51and they're being
29:51hunted down.
29:53This was different
29:54though because
29:54Finley Macdonald
29:56had a very
29:57specific list
29:58of targets.
29:59He knew
29:59exactly where
30:00he was going.
30:01He knew what
30:01locations he was
30:03going to.
30:03He knew who
30:04he was looking
30:04for.
30:05That was rare
30:05in comparison
30:06to other
30:06spree killers.
30:08In many ways,
30:09a spree killer
30:10is different
30:10than a mass
30:12murderer.
30:12A mass murderer
30:13will usually
30:14commit an act
30:14of mass murder
30:15at one
30:16centralised
30:17location involving
30:18many victims
30:19in one burst
30:20of violence.
30:21this was a
30:23planned,
30:24calculated spree
30:25of attacks
30:26that took place
30:27just over an hour.
30:28So whilst it
30:28was a rampage
30:29of violence,
30:30it was controlled,
30:31it was planned,
30:32he knew exactly
30:33where he was going,
30:34he knew exactly
30:34who he was looking
30:35for.
30:37The problem
30:38with that
30:38doesn't take away
30:40the carnage
30:41that's going to come
30:42because the only
30:42person that has
30:43that knowledge
30:44is the offender
30:44himself.
30:45The police
30:46didn't know
30:46where he was going
30:47but they were
30:48in a race
30:49against time
30:49as if it was
30:50any other
30:50spree killer
30:51to catch this
30:52man to save
30:53more lives.
30:55To accurately
30:56charge Finlay
30:57for his crimes,
30:58police need to
30:59establish a motive
31:00for each attack
31:01that followed
31:01the first against
31:02his wife,
31:03Rowena.
31:05Rather than
31:06give himself up,
31:07he then takes
31:09the pump-action
31:10shotgun
31:11with a lot
31:12of ammunition
31:13and decides
31:13to go
31:14to these
31:15other locations
31:17and he goes
31:18there to kill
31:19three other people,
31:21people who he
31:21believed had
31:22wronged him
31:23for different
31:24reasons.
31:26It was almost
31:26as if once
31:27this red mist,
31:28this murderous
31:29rage came over
31:30him,
31:30he decided
31:31to act on it
31:31further than
31:32just attacking
31:33his wife.
31:34He decided
31:34to go after
31:34other people
31:35who he believed
31:36had wronged
31:37him through
31:37the years.
31:40John was
31:41married to
31:42Finlay's
31:43older sister,
31:44Lynne-Ann,
31:45and in 2013,
31:46Lynne-Ann had
31:47given Finlay
31:48a birthday present.
31:49Finlay did not
31:50like the birthday
31:51present and he
31:51threw it back
31:52at his sister.
31:53Lynne-Ann's
31:54husband John
31:54took exception
31:55to this,
31:56they argued,
31:57and it led
31:57to a physical
31:58altercation,
32:00one in which
32:01Finlay-McDonald
32:02came off
32:02worse.
32:04For almost
32:05a decade,
32:06he let that
32:07build up
32:07within him.
32:08He became
32:09fixated by it,
32:10he couldn't
32:11get over it
32:12and couldn't
32:12let it go.
32:13That is why
32:14he went to
32:15murder
32:16John McKinnon
32:17that day.
32:19John McKinnon
32:20was quite a nice
32:21man, he was
32:2247 years of
32:23age, was
32:24married to
32:24Finlay-McDonald's
32:25older sister,
32:26they had six
32:26children, he
32:27was a
32:28distillery
32:29worker.
32:31By all
32:31accounts,
32:32that day
32:32when they
32:33had the
32:33physical
32:34altercation,
32:34he was
32:35defending
32:36his wife
32:36as any
32:37good
32:37husband
32:37would.
32:39There may
32:40have been
32:40an element
32:41of jealousy
32:41towards John
32:42McKinnon
32:42by Finlay-McDonald.
32:44John McKinnon
32:45and Lynne-Ann
32:46McKinnon
32:46were in a
32:47relatively
32:47happy,
32:47stable
32:48marriage.
32:50Compare
32:50that with
32:51what
32:51Finlay-McDonald
32:52was going
32:53through where
32:54his marriage
32:54was probably
32:55coming to
32:55a natural
32:56end and
32:57he had
32:57this
32:57fixation
32:58and paranoia
32:58that his
32:59wife was
32:59committed
33:00an adultery.
33:01In many
33:02ways, he
33:03was attempting
33:04to destroy
33:04John McKinnon
33:05because John
33:06McKinnon had
33:06everything that
33:07he wanted
33:08and did not
33:08have.
33:09There doesn't
33:10appear to be
33:11any personal
33:11responsibility in
33:12relation to not
33:13only his
33:13relationship with
33:14Rowena, but
33:15also his
33:15relationship with
33:16John and
33:17that wider
33:17family.
33:18He is
33:19obviously
33:19looking to
33:20blame other
33:20people for
33:21the actions
33:21that subsequently
33:22took place
33:22on that day.
33:24After
33:25brutally killing
33:26his own
33:26brother-in-law,
33:27Finlay still
33:28had one last
33:29score to
33:29settle.
33:31John McKenzie
33:32is a retired
33:33osteopath and
33:34he had
33:35previously treated
33:36Finlay for
33:38back pain.
33:39Now, after this
33:40appointment,
33:41Finlay became
33:42somewhat obsessed
33:45over suing John
33:46McKenzie because
33:47he believed that
33:48he had made his
33:50condition worse,
33:51had caused
33:52chronic pain in
33:54his body and
33:55had taken life
33:57chances away
33:58from him.
34:00So that's where
34:01that grievance
34:02came from.
34:04He'd actually
34:05said to his wife,
34:06I'm going to kill
34:06that man, I'm going
34:07to kill that
34:07osteopath.
34:08His wife had
34:08never taken it
34:09seriously, but
34:10McDonald was
34:11absolutely serious.
34:14What it
34:14demonstrates is
34:15that this is a
34:16man who was
34:17completely unable
34:18to control his
34:19emotions, harbored
34:21a grudge for
34:22years and
34:23years and
34:23years, storing
34:25this grievance
34:26up and then
34:27deciding in a
34:28very calculated
34:29and premeditated
34:30way that he was
34:31going to exact
34:32his revenge.
34:35McDonald's
34:35defense painted
34:36a picture of a
34:37man broken by
34:38psychological
34:39distress, but
34:40his trail of
34:41violence suggests
34:42a different truth.
34:43It depicts a
34:44man who turned
34:45minor slights into
34:46a deadly mission
34:48of revenge.
35:02November,
35:042024,
35:05Edinburgh High
35:06Court.
35:07The trial of
35:08Finlay
35:08McDonald for
35:09the murder of
35:10John McKinnon
35:11and attempted
35:12murder of three
35:13others, including
35:14his wife,
35:15Rowena McDonald,
35:16is drawing to a
35:18close.
35:19Finlay's defense
35:20team has argued
35:21for diminished
35:22responsibility due
35:24to an abnormality
35:25of mind, but
35:26the prosecution
35:27have set out to
35:28prove that the
35:29attacks were
35:29calculated and
35:30deliberate and
35:32that Finlay should
35:33be sentenced
35:33accordingly.
35:37Confronted with a
35:38diagnosis of
35:39autism, depression,
35:41anxiety, even
35:42post-traumatic stress
35:43disorder, that is
35:44certainly a cocktail
35:45for mental issues,
35:47but it's way, way
35:48short of mental
35:50issues which would
35:51be enough to
35:52decrease his
35:53responsibility for
35:54what he had done.
35:56The prosecution was
35:57able to show that
35:58he had a stockpile
35:59of weapons.
36:00Once he'd attacked
36:01his wife, he then
36:02armed himself for a
36:04small war, as they
36:05put it, to the jury,
36:08and had specific
36:10targets in mind
36:11which involved him
36:11getting behind the
36:12wheel of a car and
36:13driving some distances
36:15where he must be
36:16playing in his mind
36:17not, am I doing the
36:18right thing, but I am
36:20determined to settle
36:21this.
36:22He held petty grudges.
36:24That was the core of
36:25the issue, not his
36:27mental issues.
36:29When he attacked his
36:30wife, he was using a
36:32knife, and that may
36:33have been an impulsive
36:34act then and there.
36:36But when he goes to
36:38attack the other
36:39victims, he brings his
36:41pump-action shotgun
36:42with a lot of
36:43ammunition, a lot of
36:44cartridges.
36:45He's determined to
36:46have everything he
36:47needs to carry these
36:48attacks.
36:50Part of that could be
36:52that when he attacked
36:53his wife, they are in
36:54their own home.
36:55There's no one there
36:56to help her.
36:57She is smaller than
36:58him in stature.
36:59He can easily overpower
37:01her.
37:02But when he is going to
37:03confront John McKinnon,
37:05he knows that John
37:05McKinnon is a man who
37:07can give him more of a
37:08physical challenge.
37:09And he is aware that
37:11nine years previously,
37:12when they last had a
37:12physical altercation,
37:14John McKinnon got the
37:15better of him.
37:16So he goes this time
37:17with his shotgun,
37:18ready to have the
37:19upper hand.
37:21And also when he goes
37:22to attack John and
37:23Faye McKenzie, he is
37:24aware that he's not
37:25dealing with one person
37:26but two.
37:27And he is also aware
37:28that John McKenzie
37:29could also present a
37:30physical challenge.
37:32And that is exactly
37:34what happens.
37:34They both present a
37:35physical challenge and
37:36they attempt to subdue him
37:37and wrestle him and get
37:38the shotgun off him.
37:40So,
37:41MacDonald was aware of the
37:43differences between the
37:44victims before he set out
37:46to attack.
37:48Ultimately,
37:49the jury rejected his
37:51claim of diminished
37:51responsibility.
37:53The prosecution put
37:54forward that it wasn't
37:56a spontaneous act of
37:57violence, it was
37:58planned, premeditated.
38:00It had enough ammo for
38:01a small war and the
38:03victims were specifically
38:04selected.
38:05It wasn't random people
38:07in the street, it wasn't
38:08a spontaneous act of
38:09violence, it was planned,
38:10premeditated and a very
38:12callous way that it was
38:13undertaken.
38:15The prosecution were
38:17able to point to the
38:19planning involved in these
38:20attacks.
38:21They were able to point to
38:23the calculated and
38:24controlled method that he
38:26used, that he actually
38:28went in his car with the
38:31shotgun and the ammunition.
38:33It wasn't spur of the
38:34moment.
38:35They were able to point to
38:36the grievances that he
38:38held against these people.
38:40In other words, he had
38:42reasoning, he had a motive,
38:44he had very real hatred and
38:46anger towards these people
38:47to cause them great harm.
38:51As the trial draws to a
38:52close, all that's left now
38:54is the sentencing.
38:55Will the jury see through
38:57his claims of diminished
38:58responsibility or will
39:00McDonald be able to evade
39:02justice for his horrific
39:04acts?
39:06On the 29th of November,
39:082024, he was found guilty
39:10on all four counts, so for
39:12the murder and for the three
39:14attempted murders and was
39:16sentenced to 28 years without
39:18parole.
39:21Before sentencing, Judge Lady
39:23Drummond said this.
39:25John McKinnon's wife, sister and
39:28children's victim impact
39:29statements are heartbreaking to
39:31read.
39:32The event is so scarring it has
39:34left them angry, shocked, sad
39:37and in deep anguish.
39:39A loving husband, brother and a
39:41wonderful father, the last two
39:43years have been unimaginably
39:45difficult for them.
39:46They miss and grieve for him
39:48daily.
39:49They feel they have lost the
39:50life and soul of their family and
39:52that their lives will never be
39:54what they once were.
39:57I think the sentence was
39:59justified because these were
40:01three extremely violent
40:03offences.
40:04One man lost his life.
40:06Three other people were
40:07extremely lucky to survive.
40:10They were left with long
40:11lasting physical scars and
40:13emotional and mental trauma.
40:15There were mental issues, no
40:16question about that.
40:17He has the right to put forward
40:19what he thinks is his defence
40:21of why he did it.
40:22The jury were able to see
40:24through it very quickly.
40:25This man went on a murderous
40:26rampage through his own
40:28decisions in life.
40:30He made his mind up.
40:31There wasn't any mental issues
40:34that forced him to take the
40:35steps that he did.
40:37It may be when Finlay MacDonald
40:41serves his 28 years, at that
40:43point he'll be 70 years of age.
40:45But it may be that it still may
40:47not be safe to release him back
40:50in the society.
40:51He may remain a very serious
40:53danger to the community.
40:57Justice has finally been served.
40:59But the unprecedented nature of
41:02this violent crime leaves a
41:03lasting impact on the surrounding
41:05community of the Isle of Skye.
41:10This is certainly one of the worst
41:12and most violent cases that I've heard
41:15of in recent times.
41:17It would have been a shock
41:19and would continue to be a shock
41:21for the whole community of the Isle of Skye.
41:25I'm sure it continues to live with the
41:28community day to day, even now.
41:34Over the last 40 years there have
41:36been rampages.
41:38Many, many innocent people gunned down
41:40and sadly MacDonald must take his place
41:42amongst those notorious killers who
41:44go on a rampage.
41:46The fact that he was captured alive and
41:48didn't take his own life and was able to
41:50face justice puts him in a separate
41:52category, but it's still one murderous
41:55rampage too many.
41:57It's a case that I'll never forget.
41:59I remember sitting there, sitting in
42:01office and it coming in at the time
42:03and you only hear wee bits of it
42:06because some incidents get locked down.
42:08After a wee while this incident was
42:10locked down, but you can remember
42:11hearing the officers shouting in and
42:12you're just hoping that they're going
42:13to be okay as well, especially when
42:15they're saying that they're falling.
42:16The suspect, he's armed with a firearm.
42:19You know based on what's happened and
42:21information you've got to think what he's
42:23capable of, your heart's in your mouth
42:25at that time and you just hope that
42:26everything's going to work out the best
42:28it can, considering the circumstances.
42:31I think a case like this stands out
42:33because it is a very sad reminder that
42:36in the most beautiful and tranquil of
42:37places, we can see the most horrific and
42:40ugly crimes occur.
42:43And not only does it impact the victims and
42:46their families, but the impact goes
42:48further and it impacts the entire
42:51population, brings back bad memories,
42:56it evokes fear, and sadly, the question
43:03why always comes up.
43:06Any one of these rampages, when they occur,
43:10immediately the police have to look at
43:11themselves and their vetting process for
43:14every gun license.
43:16No one wants to discriminate against
43:18people who lawfully hold guns for
43:20particularly good reasons, whether
43:22recreational or whether for their work.
43:24But there has to be the tightest possible
43:27control.
43:28Certainly the police have to ask themselves,
43:30did they vet this man correctly or in
43:33sufficient depth?
43:34I suspect they would answer, we can't
43:36cover mental issues.
43:38But even so, the fact that guns are
43:40available, albeit on license, it still
43:43creates a situation where someone could
43:45go on the rampage.
43:48I think he's obviously been someone who's
43:50been troubled his whole life.
43:53He's experienced a number of mental
43:55health challenges.
43:57And unfortunately for his four victims,
44:01they manifested themselves in him in the
44:04worst possible way.
44:07For such irrational behavior and such
44:11violent attacks to occur over the most
44:15trivial of matters and the most minor of
44:18grievances, I would say Finlay MacDonald
44:22is a psychopath.
44:24The unpredictability of the spree that
44:27Finlay MacDonald went on was unbelievable.
44:30He inflicted serious violence on his wife
44:33in front of his kids.
44:34I can't fathom why he'd done that.
44:36Then kills his brother-in-law by
44:38discharging a shotgun of close range
44:39in front of his sister.
44:41Tears another family apart.
44:43Then drives to a respected doctor's house
44:46for what appears to be a very minor
44:49grudge that he's got.
44:50And then he shoots the doctor's wife.
44:52He shoots the doctor all because he thinks
44:54he wasn't treated right.
44:56The injuries that were sustained by all
44:58parties who came into contact with
45:00Finlay MacDonald were absolutely horrific.
45:02I'll have life-lasting changes with him.
45:07I think Finlay MacDonald's attempts to portray himself as a victim in all of this,
45:12as someone who wasn't to blame,
45:14is indicative of the man that he is.
45:19a man who does not like to feel inferior,
45:22does not like to be in the wrong,
45:25does not like to accept responsibility.
45:28I would only describe him as a psychopath,
45:30someone that feels no remorse,
45:31doesn't feel any guilt,
45:33but fully aware of what he's doing,
45:36of what his capabilities are,
45:37and what he's going to do.
45:39John MacKinnon was a much-loved member of the community
45:43and much loved by his family.
45:46He was a loving husband.
45:48He was a father to six children.
45:51And his loss is still painfully felt.
45:54And his loss is still painfully felt.
46:24So now we have dr NA,
46:32Transcription by CastingWords
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