Man who murdered girlfriend's ex-partner jailed for life

A man who murdered his girlfriend’s ex-partner has been jailed for life.

Declan Blythe, 23, was ordered to serve 16 years and three months in prison before he can apply for parole following the knife attack on Cameron McMillan.

The first offender stabbed Mr McMillan, also 23, in the chest in a street attack in Motherwell, in North Lanarkshire, on May 19 in 2019.

A judge told Blythe: “As a result his family has suffered a devastating loss and a young girl has been deprived of her father.”

Lord Harrower told him at the High Court in Edinburgh that there were several times when he could have walked away before the stabbing occurred.

The judge said Blythe’s claim that he acted in self defence was rightly rejected by the jury at his earlier trial when he was convicted of the murder.

The fatal attack took place after Mr McMillan turned up at the flat his ex-girlfriend Amy Newton shared with Blythe where a house party was being held.

Blythe had denied murdering Mr McMillan in the attack at Quarry Street, in Motherwell, but was found guilty of the offence.

His defence counsel Donald Findlay QC said in his submission there was no doubt that Ms Newton had “a significant part to play in the tragic events that took place”.

He said that she was “playing these two young men against each other”. The senior counsel said it was “a very sad and distressing case” which had led to two young lives being ruined.

Mr Findlay said of Blythe: “He is a young man with no criminal record and a good work record. He was leading what might be described as an ordinary life.”

Blythe was also convicted of an earlier assault on Mr McMillan when he pushed and punched him on the same date as the murder and a serious attack on Ms Newton whom he punched on the head and knocked to the ground, leaving her unconscious.

Blythe’s uncle Stephen Glen, 36, was ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work under a community payback order after he pushed and punched Mr McMillan on the same day.