INVERNESS MAN JAILED FOR BROTHER'S CULPABLE HOMICIDE
A man from Inverness has been sentenced to eight years in prison for killing his brother.Gary Fraser, 31, pleaded guilty to culpable homicide after being accused of murder.
The victim, Andrew Fraser, aged 29, died at Raigmore Hospital two days following a fight at his home.
The incident occurred in March, and reports detailed that during a dispute at Andrew's residence, Gary Fraser obtained a knife and stabbed his brother in the leg, then fled the scene.
The court heard that the fight ended with Andrew being stabbed, which contributed to his death.
The judge, Lord Bonomy, stated that while the sentence would typically be 10 years, the guilty plea led to a reduced term.
The judge remarked, "This is truly a family tragedy, but one that you must take full responsibility for." Andrew Fraser was described as being shot in the leg and succumbing to his injuries two days later.
During the sentencing, Andrew's sister Jessie Fraser appeared in court and expressed her devastation: "Myself and the rest of the family are devastated and are still trying to come to terms with it all.
I was in the operating theatre for a five-hour operation for bowel cancer and my son died while I was going through it.
It was my other son who took him away and I never got to kiss him goodbye." Further details revealed that the brothers had argued at Andrew's home before the altercation.
The altercation escalated to physical violence, with Gary Fraser grabbing a knife and stabbing Andrew.
The court was informed that Gary Fraser fled immediately after the attack.
In court, Judge Lord Bonomy conveyed that although the statutory sentence would have been 10 years, the guilty plea warranted a reduction.
He emphasized the tragic family context, calling it "a family tragedy" and asserting that Fraser must accept full accountability for his actions.
The sentence handed down was eight years imprisonment for culpable homicide.
