A knife thug killed a former dock worker who was annoyed with him for hugging his partner.
Scott West stabbed 41-year-old Mark Hacon-Deavin five times and smacked him with a hammer during a brutal attack in Glenrothes on July 17 2021.
The 46 year-old then abandoned Mr Hacon-Deavin and got his hands on almost £3000 as he planned to flee the town.
However, he was caught by police and has now been jailed for 10 years after admitting culpable homicide.
A judge at the High Court in Glasgow heard how the serial criminal was awaiting sentence for possession of a knife at the time of the killing.
West had faced a murder allegation but prosecutors accepted his guilty plea to the reduced charge.
‘Beef’ over hug
The men were described during the hearing as “acquaintances”.
Prosecutor Leanne McQuillan said: “A few weeks prior to the incident, West had hugged Leanne Morrison and told her that he loved her.
“She was the girlfriend of Mark Hacon-Deavin.
“West and her are long time friends.
“Mark Hacon-Deavin was unhappy at this and appears to have caused what was described as a ‘beef’ between the men.
“They had then – in the period leading up to the death – been antagonising each other.”
Changed clothes and hid hammer
The night before the killing, West was at his home in Glenrothes with two friends.
In the early hours, West sent two angry texts to Mr Hacon-Deavin and they had a brief argument on the phone.
The pair agreed to meet at Boblingen Way in the town.
Miss McQuillan told how West put on overall trousers and was seen hiding a hammer under his clothes.
The advocate depute said: “He said that he was going to sort things out once and for all.”
The court heard there were no witnesses to what then happened between the men.
However, a passer-by discovered Mr Hacon-Deavin’s body.
Attempts were made to save him but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Stab admission
West had returned home and admitted to his friends he had “stabbed” Mr Hacon-Deavin.
Miss McQuillan said: “He had blood on his face but was calm”.
He claimed his victim – a former worker at Rosyth Dockyard – had initially “jumped” him.
West went to a nearby viaduct to ditch a bag containing weapons and the clothes he had been wearing.
He had tried to hurl it into the water but missed.
West asked his friends to lie to police.
He also spoke to Mr Hacon-Deavin’s worried girlfriend but kept silent on what had happened.
‘Despicable behaviour’
The court heard West went on to call his daughter and said he needed money to “get away”.
She refused but he eventually withdrew £2,600 from a Credit Union account he had.
After staying at different addresses, he was arrested on July 22.
His KC Mark Stewart said: “This all escalated from a fairly minor and innocuous incident.
“It was a gesture of affection that was misinterpreted.
“The embrace was simply a gesture of friendship.”
West also pled guilty to a charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
Lady Stacey told him: “You stabbed him and hit him with a hammer before leaving him outside.
“You never tried to get help.
“You persuaded your friends to lie to the police and it took a good few days before they told the truth.
“All of that was despicable behaviour.”
