A MAN has been jailed for life for murdering a friend who he knifed to death after a drinking session.

The judge, Mr Justice Mackay , told 48-year-old James McGrady that he would have to serve at least 12 years before he could be considered for parole.

It took the jury one-and-a-half hours to find him guilty of murdering Brian Jeffers at Holden Mill Caravan Park, in Haslingden, on June 25 last year.

Scotsman McGrady had told the jury that he loved the victim like a brother and claimed he was defending himself at the time of the killing.

Preston Crown Court heard that Mr Jeffers would have died within minutes after being stabbed in the heart during a drunken argument.

McGrady from Galston, near Kilmarnock, lived on the same caravan site as his victim, in Grane Road.

Mr Jeffers - who was known as Jip - sustained eight wounds and three had penetrated his heart, liver and spleen.

His body was found the next morning after McGrady made a 999 call.

McGrady told the jury he and Mr Jeffers met after he left Scotland and was living in the Preston area. He said they had arguments "worse than a cat and dog" and would then shake hands.

Describing the incident in the caravan, he said Mr Jeffers - who earlier called him a "Scottish bastard " - had hold of a vodka bottle by the neck and he reached for the knife out of panic and fear.

He accepted that he had inflicted the stab wounds but said he had not wanted to kill Mr Jeffers - he was only trying to defend himself.

McGrady said he was very drunk and his recollection after leaving the caravan was vague. But he did not think Mr Jeffers was dead or dying.

It was next morning when he realised he was not breathing and his face was stone cold.