Stephen O'Neill jailed over fatal stabbing in Dunoon
A former soldier has been jailed for 11 years after a drugs fight left one man dead and another fighting for his life.
Stephen O'Neill, 36, was found guilty of the culpable homicide of 30-year-old Christopher Ferns and assaulting George Adams, 29, to the danger of his life.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how he stabbed the pair at his home in Dunoon, Argyll and Bute, last June.
He was originally charged with murder and attempted murder but was found guilty of the lesser charges.
The court heard that O'Neill had been hoping for a family day on the beach when he received a call to tell him two men were at his home.
A row developed after he returned to the house in Church Square, during which Mr Ferns died from a stab wound and Mr Adams was also struck with a knife, leaving him scarred for life.
O'Neill's defence QC Jock Thomson said: "O'Neill was not a man who was out looking for trouble."
The lawyer said his client had joined the Army and had served for eight years.
He added: "Coming to Dunoon was, sadly, his undoing because he got into the company of those who used heroin."