Killer stabbed friend to death in 'violent' attack

A former soldier has been convicted of stabbing his friend to death in a "forceful and violent" attack, following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

Stephen McGhee, 48, brutally attacked 43-year-old Kevan Doyle on his doorstep in Wishaw in North Lanarkshire on 28 October 2022.

Mr Doyle was found with fatal injuries and died at the scene.

McGhee - who already had a history of violent offences - was convicted of murder and will find out the minimum length of time he will spend behind bars when he is sentenced next month.

Jurors heard the men had known each other for about 15 years at the time.

McGhee claimed he had wanted to help his friend and had returned home to get him food and a spare phone.

When he returned to the house in Glencleland Road he claimed he was effectively ambushed by Mr Doyle, the victim's cousin and a woman.

He claimed he was pulled inside the house and confronted with a weapon.

Prosecutors said McGhee had attacked the victim with a screwdriver, a knife or a similar weapon.

The court heard Mr Doyle suffered fatal wounds to the chest and the head.

McGhee fled the scene and said he had only realised something serious had happened when he later spotted police tape at the house.

He told the trial: "I could not believe what had happened had resulted in his death."

The attack was caught on CCTV with advocate depute William Frain-Bell KC describing the three blows caught on camera as "forceful, violent and immediate".

However, McGhee claimed it was not him striking Mr Doyle and he was instead trying to escape from the victim's cousin at the doorstep.

After the verdict, Mr Frain-Bell told judge Lord Young a number of Mr Doyle's relatives had completed victim impact statements describing their loss, of which the details were not read out in court.

McGhee will be sentenced on 12 December in Edinburgh.