George Rogerson jailed for killing Leon Cairney
A man who stabbed a former soldier to death in Stirlingshire has been jailed for eight years.
George Rogerson, 22, of Plean, stabbed Leon Cairney 11 times in the village last December after the pair rowed in the street in the early hours.
He originally stood trial on a murder charge last month at the High Court in Dundee.
But the jury found him guilty of the lesser charge of culpable homicide.
Passing sentence at the High Court in Edinburgh, Lord Kinclaven ordered that Rogerson be supervised for two years following his release from prison.
Dundee Sheriff Court had previously heard how Rogerson had rowed with neighbour Simon Blair, who had then called on Mr Cairney, 25, to help confront Rogerson.
Giving evidence in his own defence, Rogerson said he had grabbed a kitchen knife from a block and stormed out of the back door during the incident.
He said: "I went out to the side of the house - I opened the side gate and when I did that they came flying in.
"It was Leon Cairney and Simon Blair - I recognised them both.
"I had the knife in my right hand. We started fighting and he was hitting me on the side of the head and I started stabbing him.
"It stopped when he let me go and fell backwards."
A pathologist reported that Mr Cairney had been stabbed 11 times - including four in the chest and one in the abdomen that had penetrated up to the hilt of the knife.
Rogerson said he had "panicked" by going outside with the knife.
Passing sentence, Lord Kinclaven said: "There is nothing that the court can say or do to reduce the impact of the death of Leon Cairney.
"The family are clearly devastated by their loss."