A Sydney man who claimed he acted in self-defence when he fatally stabbed his friend during a drug binge in the Blue Mountains has been jailed for at least seven-and-a-half years.
Henry Walcott was found guilty of manslaughter by a jury in February after attacking Cameron Bradley in the neck during a struggle at a Leura property in November 2016.
In the NSW Supreme Court on Friday, Justice Robert Allan Hulme sentenced the 30-year-old to a maximum of 10 years in jail with a non-parole period of seven-and-a-half years.
Walcott told police after his arrest that Mr Bradley had said "only one of them would be leaving the house alive" and made other verbal threats during their two-night stay at the house.
(centre) Andrew Bradley, brother of Cameron Bradley alleged murder victim of Henry Walcott outside Supreme Court in Sydney, Monday, February 11, 2019. Source: AAP
He later claimed he armed himself with a knife and tackled Mr Bradley after noticing his friend was in "an aggressive sort of mode".
"While I must accept that the offender believed that it was necessary to do what he did in order to defend himself, his response was grossly disproportionate and unreasonable," Justice Hulme said on Friday.
"There were a range of non-violent means of diffusing the situation or removing himself from the threat the offender perceived.
"While Mr Bradley may have been verbally threatening, it was the offender who initiated physical violence."
The pair got little, if any, sleep and had consumed drugs including cocaine, GHB and ice, Justice Hulme said.
The victim's eldest brother told an earlier court hearing that Mr Bradley was loved and his death had deeply affected his family and friends.
"His life should not be devalued because of the fact that he struggled with his mental health and with drug addiction," Andrew Bradley said in a victim impact statement.
Walcott's jail term was backdated to April 23 last year to account for time already served.
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