Man who stabbed Thomas O’Rourke to death jailed

The killer stated he was “in disbelief”, but he managed to grab hold of Mr O’Rourke.

There was a “big struggle” with both men on the ground while McConnachie tried to disarm his friend, he claimed.

Mr O’Rourke was then fatally stabbed, but McConnachie said: “I do not know how it happened.”

In defence, Richard Goddard KC said the killing happened after an initial “relatively minor” altercation between the pair.

He said McConnachie had “always accepted responsibility” for the death and had shown remorse for what happened.

Sentencing, judge Lord Arthurson said he had read emotional impact statements from those close to the victim.

The judge told McConnachie: “You should be under no illusion of the scale of the dreadful loss sustained by Mr O’Rourke’s family occasioned by your fatal attack.”