A VIOLENT thug, whose victim died five years after a brutal attack, was today jailed for four years and six months for killing him.

Jason Gilmour, 29, left dad-of-one Scott Hepburn brain-damaged, paralysed from the neck and only able to communicate by blinking after stamping and kicking on his head during the attack in Ardrossan.

Scott, who was cared for in a nursing home in Glasgow, died almost five years later, aged 23.

Gilmour, 29, of Kilwinning, was sentenced for assaulting Mr Hepburn to the danger of his life in 2102.

Earlier this month following Scott's death he was found guilty of culpable homicide at the High Court in Glasgow.

Jailing Gilmour, judge Lady Stacey told him: “What happened that day to Mr Hepburn was shocking behaviour on your part.

“You do appreciate how shocking it was and told a social worker you took responsibility for what you did that day in 2012.

“ The sentence would have been 10 years on the basis a young man lost his life. You have already served five years and four months of that.”

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Gilmour has a number of previous convictions including some for violence and is currently serving a 12 months sentence. His latest sentence will start at the end of his current tone.

At the time of the attack in 2012 Scott's girlfriend was pregnant and gave birth some months later.