Seven year sentence for man who killed friend under influence of Spice drug

A Merseyside man will serve seven years behind bars for the manslaughter of his friend and work colleague while the pair were fishing.

Christopher Davies killed his 37-year-old work colleague and friend, Barry O'Reilly, at Claremont Farm in Wirral in May this year.

Detectives were called to the fishing pond at Claremont Farm after reports of two men fighting in the water.

The pair were work colleagues and friends prior to the incident. They were both interested in fishing and had arranged to go to Claremont Farm together.

However, events took a tragic turn later in the day when the two men became involved in a fight in the fishing pond.

Davies claims that he and the victim had been smoking cannabis during the day and that Mr O'Reilly told him he had put a synthetic drug into the cannabis. Davies lost control and a fight ensued between the two men, before the 37-year-old drowned.

Christopher Davies claimed that the drug had caused him to react in this way. He pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his friend earlier this year.

Today, Mr O'Reilly's family paid tribute to him outside court.