A man who killed his best friend by accidentally shooting him with a handgun has been jailed for eight years.

John Tomney was found guilty of the culpable homicide of father-of-three Ian Langford, 32, at a house on Glencairn Avenue, Wishaw, on April 28, this year.

The court heard that Tomney picked up the gun and it went off, shooting his friend in the side. The bullet penetrated Mr Langford's heart and he died from massive blood loss.

Defence QC Gordon Jackson told the High Court in Glasgow Mr Langford's family have forgiven Tomney and produced a letter his mother had written asking for leniency.

On Thursday, temporary judge Rita Rae QC told Tomney: "You shot and killed your friend when you were handling an illegal weapon - a handgun. It is accepted by the Crown that you did not intend to kill him."

Tomney, who had known Mr Langford since primary school, said he felt "his insides had been ripped out" by his death.

Lady Rae added that other guns and ammunition had been found in the house.

She continued: "Such weapons and ammunition should not be in the hands of people like you. If they had not been there your friend would still be alive."

The court heard that Tomney has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress syndrome and suffers nightmare and flashbacks of the shooting.

In evidence Tomney admitted picking up the gun and shooting his friend, but claimed it was an accident.

The Crown accepted Tomney had not meant to harm his friend, but said his action in picking up the gun and pulling the trigger was reckless.

The court heard there were two illegal handguns and 100 bullets in the house that night and Tomney, Mr Langford and another friend Kevin Mooney were there "having a few drinks".

At one point Tomney picked up one of the guns, a Glock pistol, a weapon used by law enforcement agencies which has no safety catch, and pulled the trigger.

His friend fell to the ground fatally injured and Tomney collected up the two guns and ammunition and dumped them in a nearby back garden.

The court heard the bullet went through Mr Langford, from Wishaw, smashing through the sac round his heart and his liver and he died of massive blood loss.

In the immediate aftermath Tomney lied to both ambulance staff and police, claiming that Mr Langford had arrived at his home already injured and he believed he had been stabbed.

Tomney was also convicted of a series of firearms offences.