Skye and Wester Ross attacks

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Skye and Wester Ross attacks
Locations of the Skye and Lochalsh attacks
Location Skye and Lochalsh, Scotland, UK
Date10 August 2022
c. 9:00 a.m. – c. 10:00 a.m. (UTC+1)
Attack type
 shooting, stabbing
Weapons Firearm
Deaths1
Injured3
Charges Murder
Attempted murder (×3)

The Skye and Wester Ross attacks were a series of shootings and a stabbing which occurred on 10 August 2022 on the Isle of Skye and in Lochalsh (Skye and Lochalsh). The attacks resulted in one person being killed and three injured.

Contents

Attacks

Tarskavaig

At 9:02 a.m. BST, police were initially called to a property in Tarskavaig, Skye, after a report of a 32-year-old woman sustaining critical injuries after being stabbed. [1] [2] She was airlifted to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. [3] [4]

Teangue

At about 9:30 a.m., officers were called to an incident in Teangue, Skye, 8 mi (13 km) away from Tarskavaig. [3] The police said a firearm had been discharged and a man, aged 47, had died at the scene. [5]

Dornie

At around 10 a.m., they were called to an incident in Dornie, Lochalsh, about 26 mi (42 km) away from Teangue, where a gun had also been fired. [6] A man and woman, both aged 63, were injured and taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness and Broadford Hospital in Skye respectively. [4] [7]

Police said that the incidents were linked and that a 39-year-old man (later named as Finlay MacDonald) [8] had been arrested, with a taser being discharged during the arrest. [7] He was also taken to Raigmore Hospital. [4] Multiple ambulances, air ambulances, an Emergency Medical Retrieval Service and a special operations response team were involved. [9]

Aftermath

On 11 August 2022, Finlay MacDonald was charged with the murder of his brother-in-law John McKinnon and the attempted murders of three others. [6] [8] It was confirmed that his 32-year-old wife Rowena McDonald and 63-year-old chiropractor John Donald MacKenzie were still in hospital with serious injuries, but that MacKenzie's 63-year-old wife Fay had been released. [1] [7] [8]

On 12 August 2022, MacDonald appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court. He made no plea and was remanded in custody. He faces a murder charge, and two charges of assault to severe injury, danger of life and attempted murder, and a third charge of assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement and attempted murder. [10] [8] At the time his wife remained at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in critical condition, whilst the 63-year-old man remained at Raigmore Hospital in serious condition. [10]

On 27 July 2023, at a hearing at the High Court in Glasgow, the date for MacDonald's trial was set for 14 May 2024. MacDonald plead not guilty to all charges, through his lawyer Shahid Latif. [8] On 29 November 2024, MacDonald was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 28 years. [11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Roberts, Karen (11 August 2022). "Tribute to 'much-loved' man who died during shootings in Skye and Lochalsh". National World. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  2. ↑ "Man, 47, dead and three in hospital after major incidents in Scotland". ITV News. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  3. 1 2 "One dead, three injured in string of attacks around Skye". BBC News. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 Mehta, Amar (10 August 2022). "Isle of Skye and Wester Ross: Man dies and three other people injured after incidents involving firearm, Police Scotland say". Sky News. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  5. ↑ Carrell, Severin (10 August 2022). "One dead and three injured after shootings on Skye and in Wester Ross". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  6. 1 2 "Man charged with murder and attacks around Skye". BBC News. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 "Man killed during attacks around Skye is named by police". BBC News. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Skye shooting accused to stand trial for murder". BBC News. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  9. ↑ Mcilkenny, Stephen (10 August 2022). "Dornie: One dead and three hospitalised in 'devastating' incidents on Skye and Dornie". The Scotsman. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  10. 1 2 "Man in court accused of Skye murder and attacks". BBC News. 12 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  11. ↑ "Skye man murdered brother-in-law during shooting spree". BBC News. 29 November 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
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