Man killed friend after 'ridiculously trivial' parking row

A man who killed his neighbour after a lockdown parking row has been jailed for eight years and three months.

Craig McCarroll, 29, stabbed Thomas Nelson to death last April following a “ridiculously trivial” dispute.

The pair had been long-time friends and lived next door to each other with their families in Wishaw, Lanarkshire.

But they had a fall-out when visitors to the 24-year-old victim’s home started leaving their vehicles next to McCarroll’s house.

McCarroll was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on Monday having earlier admitted to a culpable homicide charge.

Lord Matthews told him the sentence would have been 11 years, but for the guilty plea. The judge added: “Mr Nelson was a man who was not only a neighbour, but also a friend.”

Members of the victim’s family in court reacted angrily towards McCarroll as he was led to the cells.

In the hours before the killing, McCarroll made “derogatory” remarks about Thomas and “repeatedly threatened violence” towards him.

Prosecutor Shanti Maguire told an earlier hearing: “McCarroll had a dispute with Mr Nelson in connection with his friends parking outside his property a few weeks prior to this incident.”

A woman who knew the pair sent a message to McCarroll telling him to “leave it” and that she was “fed up” what was going on.

But, Miss Maguire told the court: “He responded by saying he was responsible for his own actions and did not need her advice.”

Mr Nelson was later described as being “quite agitated”.

Around 2am, McCarroll’s mum spotted Thomas on her path in the town’s Carron Street and she followed her son outside.

Thomas was said to have hit McCarroll before he retaliated and both ended up on the ground.

Each of their mums yelled at them to get back inside as McCarroll was clocked on top of Thomas.

The bleeding victim was soon found “gurgling and unconscious” as McCarroll’s parents dragged the killer indoors.

Miss Maguire: “Mr Nelson’s mother made a 999 call where she is heard to be highly distressed and that she thought her son was dying.”

Thomas never recovered having been stabbed in the heart.

McCarroll had faced a murder allegation, but the culpable homicide guilty plea was accepted on the grounds of provocation.

However, it was stated McCarroll used “excessive violence” which went further “than was necessary to protect himself”.

Tony Graham, defending, previously said the parking issue was “a ridiculously trivial dispute which escalated.”