A killer who stabbed an Irvine bodybuilding champion to death has had his jail sentence reduced on appeal.

Steven Kirkwood, 44, was originally sentenced to 14 and a half years in prison after he repeatedly knifed former Mr Scotland Michael O'Hanlon to death last year.

The killer claimed his sentence was "excessive", and today (Friday, November 3) had the original sentence quashed and replaced by a 12-year jail term at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh.

Kirkwood had originally faced a murder charge after fatally stabbing Former Mr Scotland Michael ‘Musk’ O'Hanlon in the office of HK Autotek garage in Stevenston, on July 25, last year.

But the jury at the High Court in Glasgow unanimously convicted him of the reduced charge of culpable homicide under provocation earlier this year.

Kirkwood claimed that he had acted in self-defence after being assaulted by O’Hanlon and his friend Forbes Cowan, 52, a former competitor in the World's Strongest Man contest.

The attack followed an exchange of abusive messages between Kirkwood and his former partner, Eileen, who was due to marry Mr O'Hanlon.

Lord Malcolm, who heard the appeal with Lady Paton today, said: "While we can understand that for the deceased's family it is unlikely that any sentence can be described as excessive, we are persuaded that some weight should be attached to the jury's view as to the appellant acting under provocation."