A Christchurch man who slit the throat of his tetraplegic best friend has lost an appeal against his murder conviction and life imprisonment sentence.
But the Court of Appeal has quashed his 14-year non-parole term, replacing it with 13 years.
Eric Neil Smail, 53, was found guilty in the High Court at Christchurch last year of murdering paralympian Keith Graeme McCormick, 56, at the house they shared in Christchurch seaside suburb Sumner in July 2005.
He admitted the killing, but said it was manslaughter as he was provoked.
The Court of Appeal today ruled that Smail was entitled to some reduction in his sentence because of a five-year delay in bringing the case to trial.
