A man who stabbed a friend in the neck in retaliation for being hit on the head with a vodka bottle has been jailed for six years.

Rodney Brannan, 45, admitted attacking James McAvoy to the danger of his life at a house in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, on February 26.

Brannan, of Airdrie, was originally charged with attempting to murder Mr McAvoy, but his guilty plea to the reduced charge was accepted.

Judge Sean Murphy QC also ordered Brannan to be monitored in the community for three years after his release from prison.

Judge Murphy told him: "Your victim has suffered a loss of confidence, fears strangers and is more or less housebound.

"This was a form of revenge attack. You now have an opportunity to reform."

Defence counsel Jennifer Bain said: "Mr Brannan accepts full responsibility for his actions in attacking a long-standing friend. He is horrified by his behaviour.

"The near death of a friend who was shot in front of him caused him to turn to alcohol, but this offence has been a wake-up call for him."

On Tuesday, the High Court in Glasgow heard that Brannan, Mr McAvoy and two other friends were having a drink at the victim's home in Aberfeldy Avenue when an argument took place.

During a fight, Mr McAvoy grabbed a vodka bottle and struck the accused on the head.

Brannan, who has previous convictions relating to violence and using blades, then went into the kitchen and grabbed a knife and stuck it in Mr McAvoy's neck, causing him to fall to the ground.

The knife was taken from Brannan and thrown down on the hallway floor.

Mr McAvoy was taken to University Hospital Monklands in Airdrie and then transferred to the vascular unit at University Hospital Hairmyres in East Kilbride and kept under observation for 24 hours.

He did not require surgery, the wounds to his neck were sutured and he was eventually discharged five days later.