A man who killed his lifelong friend in what police described as a “needless tragedy” has been jailed for 10 years.
Jamie Wishart, 22, stabbed Connor Cleave, 17, through the heart after a row in Methilhill on April 8 last year.
He was charged with murder but a jury found him guilty of the lesser charge of culpable homicide at the High Court in Glasgow last month.
Sentencing him yesterday, judge Lady Scott said: “This is a perfect example of the tragic and fatal consequences of the use of knives by young men.
“The Cleave family have been left devastated.”
The court heard Wishart had been drinking and taking valium before the attack in Simon Crescent, which was witnessed by members of Mr Cleave’s family.
The pair, both from Methilhill, were brought up together but had fallen out in the days before. After arguing with Mr Cleave, Wishart had run off to get a knife.
The court heard how Mr Cleave died in the arms of his mother, Susan Seath, who had dashed to the scene when a friend told her what had happened.
During the trial she told how she saw a “big hole” in her son’s chest.
Defence solicitor advocate Gordon Markie told the court Mr Wishart had intended to try to turn his life around.
He said: “He is remorseful for what he did.”
Detective Inspector Martin MacLean, of Police Scotland’s major investigation team, paid tribute to the dignity shown by Mr Cleave’s family and the professionalism of officers involved in the investigation.
He said: “This is a significant sentence and is testament to the effective joint approach by Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to tackle knife crime and remove offenders from our communities.
“This attack, and the subsequent death of Connor, had a huge impact on the close-knit community of Methilhill in general and particularly upon the residents of Simon Crescent.
“Connor’s death was a needless tragedy, which involved two young men who had known each other for a significant part of their young lives and had grown up together.”