A man who stabbed his brother in the heart has been found guilty of murder.

Mark Byrne, 51, attacked Paul Byrne, 47, at his older brother’s family home in the Sandyhills area of ​​Glasgow on May 1, 2022.

Byrne, who had never been convicted of any violent crime, stabbed his brother after an argument with his mother on the phone.

He was found guilty of murder at Glasgow High Court after an offer to plead guilty to the reduced charge of manslaughter was rejected.

Window cleaner Byrne said what happened was a “blur” and denied wanting to harm his brother.

Jurors heard how Byrne had watched a Celtic and Rangers match on television that afternoon at his home with his partner, brother and a friend.

He described the atmosphere as “good…laughing” and said he went up to his room at one point after the match, which ended 1-1.

Byrne told the court how he heard his brother shouting and arguing with someone on the phone downstairs.

He said he learned it was from his mother, who appeared to be “defending” Paul’s ex-partner after they had an argument.

Byrne admitted he was “angry” at his mother for being upset and grabbed his brother’s phone.

The pair ended up in the kitchen when Paul demanded his phone back and the confrontation went from “verbal to physical.”

Byrne fatally stabbed Paul in what one witness described as a “frenzied” assault.

He claimed not to know exactly where he got the knife from.

His lawyer Thomas Ross asked Byrne if he remembered where he hit Paul or how many times, but he said he didn’t remember.

As Paul lay bleeding on the ground, Byrne jumped into his car and drove to his other brother John’s house before being arrested.

Byrne told the jury he “couldn’t make any sense” of what he had done.

He told the trial he felt “devastated” and accepted what happened was “a terrible thing.”

Byrne added: “I’ve lost my family and my partner over this.”

Prosecutors accused Byrne of “trying to make up a story” to avoid being convicted of murder.

Defense deputy David McLean asked Byrne if he intended to cause harm to Paul, which he denied.

He added: “We were just arguing. It was my brother.”

Lord Cubie adjourned the case until December 10 in Edinburgh, where Byrne will hear his minimum prison sentence.

The judge told him: “That day was a tragic day for the Byrne family.

“The loss was compounded because the person who took Paul Byrne’s life was you, his brother.

“It was within your control to control these consequences.”

Byrne was remanded in custody and faces life in prison when he returns to court next month.