A man accused of murdering his brother-in-law blamed an osteopath who he went to for help with a bad back for ruining his life and threatened to kill him, a court heard on Thursday. Rowena MacDonald said her husband Finlay MacDonald went to John Donald MacKenzie in the spring of 2022 seeking treatment for a back injury but was not happy with the result.
She told the High Court in Edinburgh that MacDonald believed that his back pain was much worse and added: “He told me that he had ruined his life.” She said: “He would frequently say ‘I am going to kill him, bloody kill him for ruining my life.” She said her husband was “very upset for a very long time”.
She said she assumed “it was just talk”. She said her husband was “quite a ranty person” and added: “I would tell him to calm down.” “He was in the process of trying to sue John Don and to get a second person to look at his back and get a second opinion,” she said.
The court heard that MacDonald, a marine engineer, had various health issues and his wife said: “He used to go on about his health every day during our marriage.”
MacDonald, 41 has denied attempting to murder John MacKenzie at his home in the village of Dornie, in Ross-shire, by firing a shotgun at him and striking him on the body on August 10 in 2022 to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of his life.
He has also denied murdering his brother-in-law John MacKinnon at his home in the village of Teangue, in Skye, on the same day. It is alleged that he repeatedly discharged a shotgun at him, striking him on the body.
Rowena MacDonald, 34 said her husband was “quick to anger” and she went to his family doctor and raised the issue of anger management control in October 2016. She said: “I was worried. I was scared of his angry outbursts.”
She said there was an incident between her husband and his brother-in-law Mr MacKinnon in 2013 when she could hear a commotion outside their home. Mr MacKinnon drove off afterwards and MacDonald came back into the house breathless, dirty and with a facial cut.
Advocate depute Liam Ewing KC asked if it was suggested that as a result MacDonald avoided Mr MacKinnon would she agree with that. She said: “I would say ‘yes’, but he was already avoiding him before that.”
The court heard that MacDonald had purchased a pump action shotgun for pounds 625 and 1000 cartridges in June 2022. Mr Ewing said MacDonald has been seen by psychologists and psychiatrists since August 2022 and has an autism disorder.
Defence counsel Donald Findlay KC asked the wife about her saying she did not know he was autistic and she replied: “No, not for sure. I knew there was something different. I didn’t know whether it was depression, anxiety, autism or something different
MacDonald has also denied attempting to murder his wife Rowena on August 10 in 2022 at an address in the village of Tarskavaig, on the Isle of Skye, 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.
He has also denied attempting to murder Fay MacKenzie on the same day at her home in Dornie by repeatedly firing a shotgun at her and striking her on the head and body to her severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of her life.
He also 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 lodged a special defence to the murder charge maintaining that at the time of the alleged offence his ability to determine or control his conduct was substantially impaired by abnormality of mind.
The trial before judge Lady Drummond continues.
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