Marc O'Haire jailed for causing John McFarlane's death

A man who caused his friend's death in a drink fuelled fight in Bishopbriggs in East Dunbartonshire has been jailed for 10 and a half years.

Marc O'Haire was cleared of John McFarlane's murder but found guilty of culpable homicide by reason of provocation.

The pair fought after spending three hours in a "drinking den". Mr McFarlane died after receiving a knife wound.

Sentencing O'Haire, the judge said he had "a considerable criminal record".

O'Haire was convicted following a trial at the High Court in Stirling in June.

The court heard how O'Haire and Mr McFarlane had been friends for 15 years before the September 2014 incident.

They had spent more than three hours in what the advocate depute, Bruce Erroch, described as "a drinking den" in a converted garage in the area, which had disco balls, lights, seating and fridges.

They went back to O'Haire's flat but he lost his temper with Mr McFarlane after he threatened to drink a bottle of Buckfast O'Haire had been keeping for another occasion.

O'Haire head-butted Mr McFarlane and, after a scuffle, ordered him out of his flat. But Mr McFarlane, described as "very drunk", grabbed a kitchen knife from O'Haire's draining board.

He left the flat but the fight continued outside.

O'Haire admitted hitting Mr McFarlane with a dumbbell, causing minor "hairline" skull fractures, but during the struggle, Mr McFarlane, sustained a "massive" and fatal chest wound from the knife.

O'Haire said he saw his friend fall on the grass and realised he was grievously injured, but never saw the knife enter his body and had no idea how the wound was caused.

He said he assumed Mr McFarlane had fallen on the blade.

At the High Court in Edinburgh, judge Lord Uist told O'Haire - who had five previous convictions for knife possession - that he had no other option but to send him to prison.

He added: "You are now 30 years old and you have a considerable criminal record.

"It is clear that you have had serious problems with alcohol and controlled drugs in the past and you also have a diagnosis of anti-social personality disorder."

Defence advocate Owen Mullan said his client was sorry about what he had done to Mr McFarlane.