A young man described as a "peacemaker" by loved ones refused to tell police his cousin stabbed him before dying from the wounds, a judge has told a court.
Shelby Stanley was handed a six-year prison sentence and three-year non-parole period on Friday, after he was found guilty of the manslaughter of his step-cousin Bradley Stanley.
The 24-year-old died on January 3, 2021 after losing blood from a stabbing wound on the right side of his abdomen caused by Stanley outside a Wellington home in central west NSW.
Justice Julia Lonergan thanked family members of Bradley Stanley who shared "very moving statements" that "so acutely described their devastation".
"His mother mourns everything he will miss - marriage, fatherhood, seeing his cousins growing up," she told the NSW Supreme Court.
One of his cousins, who was at the scene, told the court "his family has been destroyed".
Bradley's "soul mate and best friend", who had been in a long-term relationship with him, said she was "crippled by grief" and "feels cold to others".
Other victim impact statements from relatives described Bradley as a hard worker, a young man of integrity, and someone who "simply loved".
"He was a peacemaker," the court was told.
The victim's relatives filled the court's public gallery wearing T-shirts commemorating their loved one.
The jury in August, 2022 heard a disagreement between a group of friends and cousins about one of their ex-girlfriends turned into a violent and ultimately deadly brawl.
Stanley had armed himself with a knife and ran outside his family home upon seeing his cousins outside.
The group had been involved in an earlier altercation that was broken up by police without injuries.
Justice Lonergan acknowledged that Stanley's traumatic childhood and mental health struggles had contributed to his poor judgment of what was necessary to defend himself from Bradley.
Stanley also demonstrated sincere remorse for what occurred since his first police interview, Justice Lonergan said.
"He has shown difficulty coming to terms and demonstrated visceral, deeply felt contrition, which is not sometimes what this court hears," she said.
Stanley's initial police interview was interrupted following the news of Bradley's passing and subsequently ended due to Stanley's distressed emotional state, Justice Lonergan said.
He allegedly said "f***, that's 'cause of me" when hearing of Bradley's death, which Justice Lonergan recognised as "first demonstrations of his remorse".
In sentencing Stanley, Justice Lonergan also stressed the importance of keeping others in the community safe despite Stanley's high prospects of rehabilitation.
"Wellington residents have been exposed to the same (difficult circumstances) and have not offended," she said.
Stanley's sentence is backdated to his original date of imprisonment January 3, 2021.
