Scottish former music student sentenced for killing friend in Lanarkshire

A former music student has been sentenced for killing his friend, during a confrontation in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire in February 2023.

Francis McConnachie, 36, was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow by Judge Lord Arthurson, following his conviction of culpable homicide under provocation. McConnachie, who had denied murdering 21-year-old Thomas O’Rourke, claimed he acted in self-defence during the fatal encounter.

The court heard that McConnachie and O’Rourke had been at the former’s home earlier that day after the defendant returned from walking his father’s dog. While the atmosphere between the two was initially “good”, tensions escalated into a heated argument, leading McConnachie to order O’Rourke to leave.

According to McConnachie, O’Rourke made threats against him and his brother after leaving. McConnachie admitted that he then followed his friend outside, where the pair engaged in a physical altercation on the street before being separated and returning to their respective homes.

The incident turned deadly when the defendant claimed he heard the victim shouting outside again and confronted him. He alleged O’Rourke was armed with a knife, prompting a struggle during which O’Rourke was fatally stabbed. McConnachie told the court: “I do not know how it happened.”

Defence KC Richard Goddard described the initial confrontation as a “relatively minor” altercation and stated that McConnachie had always accepted responsibility for the death, expressing remorse for his actions.

Sentencing, Lord Arthurson highlighted the profound impact on the victim’s family, referencing emotional victim impact statements submitted to the court. The judge said: “You should be under no illusion of the scale of the dreadful loss sustained by O’Rourke’s family occasioned by your fatal attack.”

McConnachie’s sentencing underscores the tragic consequences of the confrontation, leaving a community in mourning for the young life lost.

Featured image via Police Scotland