BBC
December 21, 2014
A teenager who stabbed his best friend to death after spending the evening drinking and taking cocaine has been cleared of murder.
But Hanaryan Johal, 18, of Newbury Close in Daventry, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter at Northampton Crown Court.
Johal, 18, had admitted stabbing Stanley Harrison, 17, but had pleaded not guilty to his murder.
He was sentenced to five years and three months in jail.
Judge Rupert Mayo had asked the jury to consider four possible verdicts: guilty of murder, not guilty, guilty of involuntary manslaughter or guilty of unlawful act manslaughter.
On Wednesday, Johal’s defence team told the court his actions had been “blind and thoughtless” but “a million miles from murder”.
But Chris Donnellan, prosecuting, said Johal’s actions had been “excessive”.