A CALLOUS killer slashed a neighbour's throat with a large butcher's knife after being taunted with jibes about his ginger hair.

Labourer Alan Storie, 26, was convicted of murdering David Findlay on June 29, last year, in Toryglen Road, Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire.

Today at the High Court in Glasgow judge Lord Bonomy sentenced Storie to life imprisonment and

ordered him to serve at least 16 years before

being eligible for parole.

Storie later told police who arrested him: "He'll never call me a ginger-heided b****** in his life again."

The High Court in Glasgow was shown CCTV footage taken at Cathcart police station, which revealed Storie making the remark.

Mr Findlay died in a pool of blood. His windpipe was cut through and his carotid artery and jugular vein were severed in the savage attack. Jailing Storie judge Lord Bonomy told him: "Nothing I've heard here or during the trial can begin to explain the callous and vindictive attack on

David Findlay, essentially slashing him outside his own home."

The court heard that a row developed after Storie went to see if Mr Findlay wanted to play computer games with him and was asked to leave. In the past the two men had played together.

Both men had words outside the block of flats at 2.10am, which included Mr Findlay making derogatory remarks about the colour of Stories's hair. The Crown say it was at this point the fatal blow was struck and Mr Findlay crawled back upstairs, dying outside his flat.

But Storie claimed that he didn't slash Mr Findlay outside the flats. He alleged that they went inside and minutes later Mr Findlay banged on his door repeatedly. Storie said he looked out of his spyhole and thought Mr Findlay had a dagger - although no weapon was ever found.

Storie told the jury he went to his kitchen, grabbed a large butcher's knife, opened the door and slashed Mr Findlay on the neck.

The gaping wound, caused massive blood loss and Mr Findlay, 41, collapsed.

Storie left his flat, taking the murder weapon with him. At 3am he phoned his gran and told her: "I think I've murdered a boy. I tried to get him on the face and I think I got him on the neck."

In evidence dad-of-one Storie admitted slashing Mr Findlay, but claimed he was acting in self-defence.

He said: "I just wanted to get him away from my door."

Advocate depute

David Taylor, prosecuting, revealed that Storie has 20 previous convictions, including ones for assault, domestic violence and police assault.

Defence QC Frances McMenamin told the court that Storie was bullied at school because of his hair colour.

She added: "These experiences have clearly had a profound impact on him."