A MAN was jailed for four and a half years yesterday for stabbing his younger brother and "best friend".

Father-of-five Ronald Leckenby, 40, killed his brother, Christopher, last year during a family row.

The pair had been drinking at Ronald Leckenby's home in Kingswood Square, Downhill, Sunderland, when a row broke out.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that emotions had been running high in the family, but the pair would still regularly gather together for drinks and darts sessions.

On April 1, Christopher, Ronald and his wife, Dorothy, were having one of their regular drinking sessions.

The court heard how after a large amount of alcohol had been drunk, the happy atmosphere turned to violence.

The row escalated into a brawl during which Christopher Leckenby hit his brother's wife. Ronald Leckenby flew into a rage, grabbed a 12-in chef's knife from the kitchen, and lunged at his brother.

Christopher Leckenby, 28, died from massive blood loss after being stabbed in the back.

The court heard that after the stabbing, Christopher Leckenby managed to stagger into the dining room, followed by his brother, who screamed: "I didn't mean to do it."

Other family members raised the alarm, but when paramedics arrived there was no sign of life in the younger brother, who had a wound the size of a tennis ball inflicted by the knife, which belonged to his brother, a former chef.

A paramedic at the scene described it as the worst knife injury he had seen in his career.

Yesterday Leckenby was jailed after pleading guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of provocation.

David Robson QC, for Leckenby, said: "The victim was the defendant's best friend, and baby brother. He never intended to kill him."

Judge Esmond Faulks told Leckenby: "You were provoked by your brother's behaviour, which led to a loss of self-control on your part and I accept that.

"I accept your genuine remorse. But the fact is what you did was truly dreadful. It was not done in self-defence, but in temper, with appalling consequences."

The family refused to speak about the case after the hearing