I have to watch our three sons in pain... sobbing, crying, asking questions that I cannot answer

The judge added: “I know that you continue to protest your innocence, but by their verdict the jury found you responsible for Mr McClelland’s murder and it now falls to me to pass sentence on you.

“I have had regard to your record, your personal circumstances, the terms of the report and what has been said on your behalf, but in truth there is nothing to be said in mitigation of what I have no doubt was the premeditated stabbing of a victim picked at random.

“The sentence is one of life imprisonment to run from September 15, 2017. I fix the punishment part at 20 years.”

Solicitor advocate John Scott, defending, said the serious and tragic aspects of the case were readily apparent from the evidence heard at the trial

He said: “Cl e a r l y i t ’s recognised that this was a most serious crime and unusual in respect of the victim.

“It’s really one of those cases where very little can be said on his behalf. He’s still only 25 years of age. Recognising that there’s a parallel in it, he lost his father when he was about 10 years old and that seems to have had significant impact on him, on his education and on his behaviour.

“Beyond that the only other matter is the starting point for his sentence, which would be September 15, 2017, his first appearance on petition.”