A drug-fuelled killer who was jailed for 19 years after murdering a man who helped a stranger hide in his home has had his sentence cut by three years.
Liam Hay, 21, was on a five-day drugs binge when he killed Anthony McGladrigan, 51, in Cuminestown, Aberdeenshire, in June last year.
Mr McGladrigan had let one of Hay's friends into his home after he had fled the violent thug.
Hay, a farm worker, barged into the family home and stabbed his innocent victim nine times.
Mr McGladrigan's wife Fiona desperately tried to save her husband but he later died in hospital.
Hay was jailed for life in January at the High Court in Glasgow after pleading guilty to murder and ordered to serve a minimum of 19 years by judge Lady Stacey.
But he appealed against the minimum jail term at the Court of Appeal in Edinburgh where his legal team argued that he should have been given bigger sentencing discount to reflect his guilty plea.
Scotland's second most senior judge Lady Dorrian has now ruled the minimum term was excessive and reduced it to 16 years before Hay will be eligible for parole.
In a written ruling Lady Dorrian, sitting alongside Lord Brodie and Lord Turnbull, said: "This was a serious, unprovoked and distressing offence, aggravated by having been committed in the victim's own home and in the presence of members of his family.
"Having regard to all relevant factors we consider that an appropriate headline sentence would have been 18 years.
"There is usually a considerable utilitarian value in a plea of guilty to a charge of murder.
"Having regard to the timing of the plea at what was the first calling of a preliminary hearing we consider that a discount of two years was merited, resulting in a punishment part of 16.
"As with all punishment parts, this is not an indication of the date when the appellant will be released.
"It specifies rather the period which must pass before the appellant may even apply for parole, a process which is not easy.
"We shall allow the appeal to the extent of substituting a punishment part of 16 years for that of 19 years imposed by the sentencing."
The High Court had earlier heard Hay had been bingeing on drink and drugs for five days before the brutal killing.
They had taken cocaine and the stimulant M-Cat. Hay was described as tripping', with his behaviour becoming 'increasingly strange'.
On the morning of the murder, Hay chased his friend Austen Smith with a baseball bat. He was given refuge by hotel worker Mr McGladrigan.
Hay used the baseball bat to smash open his door and then used a knife to repeatedly stab his victim.
Hay was arrested at the house and told police his name was 'Lewis Capaldi'.
He later claimed he could not remember what had happened.
After the court case, Mr McGladrigan's heartbroken family said: "It is quite overwhelming realising just how much Anthony affected everyone who met him, his pure, infectious love of life and laughter inspired us all - it's wonderful to know that we weren't the only ones.
"As a family we are so proud of him. He would do anything for you and would put his needs aside to help anyone it is beyond tragic that this led to his death."
