Court hears horror details of Camelon grandmother’s murder

A man has admitted stabbing a grandmother 47 times.
The scene last November after William Finlay, right, admitted stabbing to death Fiona McDonaldThe scene last November after William Finlay, right, admitted stabbing to death Fiona McDonald
The scene last November after William Finlay, right, admitted stabbing to death Fiona McDonald

William Finlay (57) told police he should be “shot in the head”, but added he was pushed to his limits and can’t apologise for killing someone.

Finlay stated the gruesome assault on Fiona McDonald (44) at her flat in November last year was “revenge”.

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He believed Miss McDonald, who was also known as Canning, had been “rinsing him” of a £10,000 pension payment.

On Friday at the High Court in Glasgow he pled guilty to the murder of Miss McDonald in Carmuirs Avenue, Camelon.

The facts were read out today in his deferred sentence.

The court heard the pair were neighbours who would often violently argue.

Finlay, an ex-electronics worker, had received a £10,000 pension payment in March last year but was left with £300 a few months later.

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Prosecutor Margaret Barron said: “He stated to witnesses that she had been ‘rinsing him’ and was constantly asking for money.”

Finlay was heard inside Miss McDonald’s flat by a neighbour on the night of her death.

Later that day he went to a friend’s house covered in blood and confessed to murdering Miss McDonald.

The friend dialled 999 and reported Finlay to the police after he left his house.

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On the way back, other neighbours saw Finlay and asked what he had done, he replied: “I’ve just murdered Fiona.”

The neighbours raced to Miss McDonald’s flat and saw her seated on her couch “just staring into the sky” and covered in blood.

When the neighbours returned to Finlay he shouted: “I’ve murdered her, I’ve done her, I’ve murdered Fiona.”

Ambulance crews arrived and but there was nothing they could do for the woman.

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Police found a small kitchen knife near to her couch which was covered in blood.

Officers arrested then Finlay at inside his flat and he was cautioned.

He replied: “Junkies bothering me, that’s why I got my revenge.

“I took it out on a poor woman who robbed me for thousands of pounds.

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“I deserve to be shot in the head for what I’ve done tonight.

“I apologise for doing it, but you can’t apologise for killing someone – this is what happens when you get pushed to the limits.”

A post-mortem examination carried out showed Miss McDonald received 70 individual sharp force injuries to the body, mainly to her chest, neck and heart.

Judge Lady Stacey deferred sentence for reports until next month and remanded Finlay.