THE mother of a man stabbed to death in a drunken row has hit out at a 12-year jail sentence handed to his killer.
Wesley Vance (28) of Church Gate Studios, Comber, Co Down, murdered his friend Kyle Neil by stabbing him 200 times.
He was told on Monday by a judge that he would spend 12 years in jail without parole.
Mr Neil's mother Drea said she was disappointed with the sentencing and was exploring the option of an appeal.
Vance had pleaded guilty to murdering Mr Neil (23) in his apartment on April 12, 2015 after he claimed a fight broke out after he asked Mr Neil to leave but he refused.
He claimed Mr Neil came at him with a knife and acted in self defence, telling police it was a "frenzied and repeated attack'', adding: "I lost power when he was going to try and kill me. It was either his life or my life".
Co-accused Stephanie Todd (26), of Russell Court, Belfast, was given a 12 month conditional discharge for obstructing police investigating Mr Neil's murder.
The mother-of-one was also banned from driving for three months for driving Vance's car with Mr Neil's body in boot with excess alcohol. A charge against her of assisting an offender was left on the books.
Mr Neil's body was found in the boot of Vance's Ford Fiesta car after Todd drove it to her mum's house at Windsor Avenue in south Belfast.
The judge said Todd had "played no role or had any responsibility'' for the death of Mr Neil.
A post mortem examination said Mr Neil sustained 200 knife wounds and the fatal wound was to an artery in the neck.
Passing sentence at Downpatrick Crown Court, sitting in Belfast, Mr Justice Colton said he was giving "significant and substantial credit'' to Vance for his guilty plea which had "spared Mr Neil's family of having to come to court to listen to the harrowing evidence in this case''.
"I think there can be little doubt that he (Vance) contemplated disposing of the body when he put it in the boot,'' said Mr Justice Colton.
"But he did not take any steps to the disposed of the body. He ultimately realised that he would have to face the consequences.''
Speaking afterwards, Mr Neil's mother Drea, said: "As Kyle's family and friends we have come to the end of a difficult process but it is also true to say our life sentence has just begun. Kyle was the life and soul of the party - he was always smiling and ready to help anyone. He was a loyal friend but above all an amazing daddy to Sophie.
"We can try to put our loss and hurt into words but Sophie has yet to face and try to understand that her Dada has been taken from her. She has been robbed of his love and he will never see the milestones throughout her life.
"We are disappointed with the sentencing and are exploring the option of an appeal in relation to this."
PSNI Detective Inspector Chris Wilson, said a "brutal act of violence" had resulted in the loss of a young man’s life.
"No family should have to go through this heartbreak," he said.
