Judge brands Skye shooter "mindlessly violent" in sentencing statement

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Passing sentence, Lady Drummond told MacDonald about the impact his actions had on his victims.Finlay MacDonald, 41, has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 28 years behind bars after being found guilty of murdering his brother-in-law and attempting to kill three other people during a shotgun rampage on the Isle of Skye and the Scottish mainland.The attacks began that morning when the father-of-four repeatedly stabbed his wife Rowena at their home in Taskarvaig on the island’s Sleat peninsula after finding “flirty” text messages on her phone between her and her boss.Giving evidence during the trial at the High Court in Edinburgh, Mrs MacDonald said the “frenzied” attack punctured both her lungs and left her “squelching blood” with every breath she took.Lady Drummond said: “I have read victim impact statements by those affected by your crimes.“Rowena MacDonald suffered at least 9 stab wounds, and as she describes in her victim impact statement about 17, to her chest, abdomen and back, a build-up of blood and air in her chest and small wounds to her liver and kidney which were a danger to her life.“She has permanent scarring.

She describes being in hospital for 6 weeks, requiring to have operations and a subsequent hospital admission.“Living with the scarring is a permanent reminder to her of the trauma of your attack.

The attack has had a devastating impact on her physically and huge lasting emotional and psychological impact as described in her victim impact statement all of which I take into account.“Fay MacKenzie suffered multiple small wounds from gunshot pellets to her face, neck, chest and thumb of her right hand.