Teenager who stabbed friend to death in row amid dog's paw being stood on jailed for 14 years

A man who murdered his friend in a knife attack, inflicting devastating loss on the victim’s family, has been jailed for life.

James Wilson was 18 years old when he launched the fatal attack on Ryan Willcox at a house in the Castlemilk area of Glasgow on July 28, 2023.

A judge ordered that Wilson, now 20, should serve a minimum term of 14 years in jail before he can be considered for release on parole.

Lord Scott said he had read victim impact statements from the mother, father and sister of the victim and said: “They each describe the continuing daily impact on them in many ways, including their mental health.”

The judge said the father explained he is haunted by the images of his son in the mortuary following his death. He said: “It is clear there has been a significant impact on that family which continues.”

Wilson had denied murdering Mr Willcox, 21, by striking him on the body with a knife at his home in Stravanan Road but a jury convicted him of the crime and rejected that he was acting in self-defence.

Emergency services were called to the property where the victim was lying in a garden. A resident said Wilson was “pacing up and down” and looking agitated. He knelt beside the victim and asked a paramedic if there was anything he could do to help.

A police officer who attended the scene was asked if Wilson said anything about what had occurred and she replied that he stated: “He stood on the dug’s paw and we were arguing. He had the knife, we got in a tussle and then this happened.”

Defence counsel Donald Findlay KC said it was “depressing and distressing” that a young life was lost and another “blighted if not ruined”.

He said: “The accused and deceased were friends. There is no history of animus between them in any way.”

“It is clear from the evidence that something happened in Mr Wilson’s house that resulted in a confrontation between the two which ended up with a knife being used in a way which brought about a tragic death.”

He asked the judge to take into account Wilson’s age, the lack of premeditation in the offence and the immediate remorse shown.

“It is an utterly tragic case. It should not have happened. It need not have happened,” said the defence counsel.