A man who stabbed and killed one of his closest friends after being taunted and provoked at a late night drinking party was jailed for eight years by the Belfast Crown Court.
Glen Winchester (29), from Link View Park in the Upper Malone area of Belfast, was also ordered to spend three years on probation following his release.
In December Winchester had gone on trial at the Crown Court for the murder of Michael Johnston in the early hours of November 22nd, 1999. Winchester also denied wounding the victim's step-brother Brian Hannan with intent to endanger life.
But in the course of the trial the prosecution accepted a plea to the lesser count of manslaughter, and dropped the murder charge.
The defendant also pleaded guilty to the second offence.
The court had heard that during the party Winchester had been playing with a little girl who was present, when the step-brothers began taunting him about being a `pervert'.
He later told police that he left the party and went home because the ‘banter' about him being a child molester was getting aggressive. He said he was getting ready for bed when Johnston and Hannan arrived at his home.
Lord Justice McCollum said it was probably unknown to his companions that Winchester was in a very confused state and was receiving medical treatment following the break-up of an earlier ‘inappropriate relationship' with a 14-year -old girl.
"I accept your plea to manslaughter on the basis of provocation which is very likely the verdict the jury would have brought in," he said.
The judge said he believed Winchester was remorseful for causing the death of his friend and the injuries to the other man. Lord Justice McCollum commented that he did not regard Winchester as a man who would engage in random violence to a dangerous extent.