A MAN who murdered a vulnerable 47-year-old woman in Port Glasgow by strangling her was yesterday jailed for life.

Allan Docherty, 34, of Kelburn Terrace, sobbed in the dock as he was sentenced to serve at least 18 years behind bars for the murder of Karen Young.

His co-accused Weir McKay, 44, of Marloch Avenue, was jailed for 14 years for the culpable homicide of Karen.

She was killed on June 9 in 2017 at Docherty's flat.

Both men continue to deny killing her and Docherty claimed during the trial that he had been trying to save Karen's life.

Defence QC Brian McConnachie, representing McKay, said: “He has shown genuine remorse.

"He did not seek help by telephoning an ambulance.

"The jury must have convicted him of culpable homicide on an art-and-part basis as there was no evidence he hit Miss Young.”

McKay, who after the killing used Karen's bank card to try to buy a Chinese takeaway, shouted out from the dock as he was sentenced: 'I got 14 years for not phoning an ambulance!”

Judge Lady Stacey told Docherty: “By your actions a family has been left bereaved.

"You took hold of Karen Young's neck and put your hand in her mouth.

"You thought she had taken a packet of controlled drugs which you wanted back.

“You saw you have to live with this, but you do not accept you carried out a murder.

"You went to trial saying you tried to help her.”

The judge told McKay: “You were involved in blunt force injuries to this woman and that contributed to her death.

"The jury found you responsible in a legal sense for her death."

Karen was hit on the head with a metal pole and hammer after being accused of stealing drugs from the flat and the main cause of death was neck injuries and her larynx was fractured.

Jurors heard there had been a "delay" in dialling 999 by Docherty.

Prosecutor Lisa Gillespie told the trial: "That was the actions of a man with something to hide."

She also said McKay had steered a housing officer away from the flat as Karen lay dying.

It was claimed McKay went on to rummage through and steal Karen's bag and he was then said to have tried to use her bank card at local shops.

Miss Gillespie: "So panicked was he that he thought he had better cheer himself up with a Chinese takeaway.”