Marc O’Haire killed friend in row over Buckfast

Police at the scene of the death at Springfield Avenue

Marc O’Haire (30), lost his temper with father-of-one John McFarlane (28), after spending three hours in a “drinking den”. At the High Court in Stirling he was cleared of his murder, but unanimously convicted of culpable homicide by reason of provocation.

Unemployed roofer O’Haire head-butted Mr McFarlane and ordered him out of his upstairs flat in Springfield Avenue, Bishopbriggs, after a scuffle, but Mr McFarlane, described as “very drunk”, grabbed a kitchen knife from O’Haire’s draining board.

He left, but soon afterwards began shouting up from the street and threatening to put O’Haire’s door in.

The pair continued fighting in the street during the incident on September 24, 2014, and O’Haire hit Mr McFarlane on the head with a dumbbell, causing a minor hairline skull fracture.

During the fight Mr McFarlane sustained a fatal knife wound to his chest, though the court was told it was not clear how this knife wound occurred. O’Haire believed he had fallen on his own knife.

The court heard however that happened, the impact was great enough to shatter the blade into several pieces.

O’Haire will be sentenced on September 2015 this year.Outside the court, the deceased’s family refused to comment.