Man jailed for stabbing friend in neck

A MAN who fatally stabbed his friend in the neck during a drunken fight has been jailed for six years and five months.

A MAN who fatally stabbed his friend in the neck during a drunken fight has been jailed for six years and five months.

Steven Allan Main, 40, was originally charged with the murder of Jamie Lewis at an Osborne home in January last year, however was convicted of manslaughter after a trial.

Supreme Court judge Malcolm Blue said the verdict showed the jury had rejected Main's evidence that he swung a knife backwards and was not intending to stab Mr Lewis.

Justice Blue said Main had stabbed Mr Lewis once in the neck in excessive self defence after his friend started punching him in the face.

Mr Lewis was distressed and heavily intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level of 0.236 percent.

Justice Blue said Main was deeply remorseful for the death of his friend and had suffered continuing nightmares and flashbacks over the incident.

He imposed a non-parole period of three years and ten months, backdated to the day of the offence.