A man who killed a NHS worker in a horror scissor attack is behind bars.
Darren McDade turned on Kyle Zybilowicz, 29, at the victim's flat in Glasgow's southside on July 22 2023.
McDade then went to the "Herculean effort" of covering his tracks including hiding the weapon and burning his clothes.
The 34 year-old admitted to jurors that he was responsible for the death.
However, he claimed he had been fearing for his own life.
McDade said Kyle had initially forced himself upon him, bit hard on his finger before going to grab the scissors.
He said he got them first before striking Kyle although did not know how many times he lashed out.
McDade had been accused of murder at a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
But, he was today instead convicted of the reduced charge of culpable homicide while acting under provocation.
The first offender is due to learn his fate next month.
McDade had been out with a friend before the killing including at a city centre casino.
He said he had earlier been in contact with Kyle with chat about a "casual" hook-up for sex.
This was despite the pair having never met before.
McDade and his friend then got a taxi from Glasgow's West End to Kyle's flat in the city's Dumbreck Court.
However, McDade told the trial this was to score cocaine and not for sex.
The court heard this was then in the lead-up to "catastrophic events" at the flat.
In his evidence, McDade claimed Kyle had propositioned him shortly after he arrived alone.
He told jurors: "I said 'no - no way'."
There were claims Kyle effectively pounced on McDade, who eventually got him off.
Among other allegations, McDade said Kyle then grappled with him before trying to attack him with a knife.
The tattooed killer stated he got hold of the blade and lashed out at Kyle.
McDade said: "I was terrified. I thought: 'This is it for me'. I thought I was dead.
"I do not fight. I have never been raised to fight."
McDade next claimed he was left in "excruciating" pain after Kyle clamped his teeth down on his finger.
He alleged Kyle reached out for a pair of scissors, however, McDade said: "He got his hand on them, but I got there to try and stop him."
McDade admitted he then "stabbed" Kyle with the weapon.
His lawyer Donald Findlay KC asked what happened next.
McDade said: "He let go. I was free. I grabbed my jumper and ran."
He claimed not to know how many times he struck Kyle, who was repeatedly stabbed including in the eye.
Mr Findlay asked: "Did you know why you struck him with the scissors and the knife?"
McDade said: "No. I was terrified. I just wanted to be free."
Despite his claims of being in fear, the court heard McDade still took Kyle's phone and threw it away during a taxi journey away from the bloodbath.
He also ditched the scissors behind an electricity box in the city's Maryhill.
McDade further took a hire car to the Campsie Fells in Lennoxtown, East Dunbartonshire to burn his clothes after buying matches and turps from a supermarket.
Prosecutors stated, despite knowing what he had did, McDade even claimed to others Kyle had texted to threaten him.
McDade told the trial he later learned of Kyle's death online.
He claimed in his evidence to be "devastated" at what had happened.
In cross-examination, prosecutor Ali Murray put to McDade he was appearing, at times, to act like "the big innocent in all of this".
He replied: "Absolutely not."
Murray also stated: "You went to the Herculean effort to destroy evidence because you knew that the good people of Police Scotland would be wanting to speak with you?"
McDade agreed.
Kyle was described by one friend who gave evidence in the trial as "a good guy, so funny ... everybody loved him".
Lord Scott was given a number of victim impact statements penned by some of Kyle's grieving relatives for the judge to read prior to sentencing.
McDade will next return to court in Livingston on April 3.
