A killer who claimed his victim suffered a fatal fall has been jailed for eight years.
Alexander Walker, 33, carried out a brutal attack on friend James Curran in the stairwell of flats in Tradeston, Glasgow on March 21 last year.
The 38-year-old suffered horrific internal injuries having been kicked or stamped upon.
Walker – who had faced a murder charge – was sentenced on Friday having earlier been convicted of the culpable homicide of Mr Curran.
Judge John Morris QC told him at the High Court in Glasgow: “It is hard to judge how you assaulted James Curran.
“The Crown do not know – I do not know.
“However, it is clear that considerable violence was used causing internal injuries.
“I am prepared to give you the benefit of the doubt that it may have been one blow albeit a very violent one.”
Paramedic John Shea earlier told the trial how he was called to the flats in the city’s Wallace Street and found Mr Curran in “a bad way”.
Walker was also still there and he claimed his friend had “fallen two flights of stairs”.
Mr Curran – known as Jimmy – did not survive and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Mr Shea told jurors: “When I told him (Walker) his friend had gone, he seemed heartbroken.
“There were tears, crying in anguish…shouting his name ‘Jimmy, Jimmy’.”
Walker was later quizzed by police at the place he had been living at in Easterhouse, Glasgow.
Included in his statement were claims Mr Curran had taken drugs that day, fell down stairs at the flats, got up before taking another “tumble” and ending up unresponsive.
The court heard Mr Curran died having suffered severe internal abdominal injuries.
It emerged after the verdict Walker had a string of convictions including for serious assault in 2011.
Brian McConnachie QC, defending, said: “What seems to be clear, that what whatever happened, Alexander Walker sought assistance immediately.
“The (pre-sentencing) social work report described him as devastated by the death.”
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
