Man who knifed his 'best pal' in Hamilton jailed

A killer who brutally murdered his "best pal" in a savage knife attack was sentenced to life imprisonment today.

Gary Smith was ordered to serve at least 20 years in jail for the murder of Joseph McMenemy at his home in Donaldson Street, Hamilton, in Lanarkshire.

A judge told Smith (24) that it was "a tragedy" that Mr McMenemy had died at the age of 27.

Judge Tom Hughes QC said: "He had a promising future to look forward to."

He told Smith at the High Court in Edinburgh: "You have caused extreme distress to his friends and family."

The judge said Smith would not automatically be freed at the end of the 20 year minimum term but it would be for the Parole Board to determine when it is safe to release him from prison.

Smith earlier pled guilty to murdering Mr McMenemy on November 15 last year by repeatedly striking him on the head, neck and body with a knife on the second day of his trial.

Smith inflicted at least 10 stab wounds to his victims neck damaging jugular veins and carotid arteries resulting in massive blood loss.

He also stabbed Mr McMenemy four times to the chest and shoulders and wounded his face. One stab wound to the torso passed right through the victim's liver. Some of the knife wounds had cut into bone, the spine and penetrated the skull.

Mr McMenemy, who worked for a hospitality agency, was also found to have defensive injuries to his arms and hands.

Unemployed Smith, of Spey Wynd, Larkhall, in Lanarkshire, was earlier seen at an Aldi store in Hamilton with Mr McMenemy where they bought alcohol before returning to the victim's home.

Neighbours later heard males arguing and the sound of dull groans coming from the property before it all went quiet.

Smith later went to a neighbour's home just before midnight and tapped a metal object on the glass panel of the door and said: "Joe needs help." The neighbour made a 999 call to police.

Smith also made a phone call to the emergency services and claimed that both he and the deceased had been attacked after the door of Mr McMenemy's home was kicked in.

Police arrived at the scene and Smith partially opened the door to them. Officers could see his face and left arm were bloodstained but he claimed everything was alright and said: "I've already phoned an ambulance."

The court heard that Smith appeared relaxed and was speaking coherently. When officers asked to get into the property he told them: "No, it's okay." When they asked if anyone else was there he replied: "Just ma pal."

When police got into the flat they saw a small knife with red staining on the blade on a chair in the hallway beside Smith. One officer went further into the flat and found Mr McMenemy lying on his back obviously wounded with no signs of life and with a large blood stained knife resting on his shoulder.

Smith was asked who the injured man was and said: "It's my mate Joe. He's my best pal. He's practically family."

He claimed that intruders had burst in and held him down and alleged it was over a drug debt, adding: "It was all my fault. Joe didn't even know them."

He said that the attackers had hit him on the head and he fell to the ground and "then they got Joe".

While he was on a landing Smith had motioned to bin bags and said: "I've chopped up a body and put it in that bag." When an officer went to investigate he said: "I'm only joking.

Defence counsel Tony Graham QC said Smith had never given him any instruction as to why the offence was committed.

He told the judge: "In sentencing him, My Lord really does have no insight as to how this came about."

Mr Graham said Smith had told him that "the first proper night's sleep he managed to achieve was having tendered a plea of guilty to this charge".