A MOTHER wept outside court yesterday after her son's killer was sentenced to five years for a fatal stabbing.

Elizabeth Douglas, 43, claimed John Tiffoney should have been jailed for life for the slaying of her 17-year-old son Mark, who died after his jugular vein was slashed when Tiffoney lashed out with a knife.

Tiffoney, 19, of Cairnhill Circus, Crookston, Glasgow, was originally charged with murder following the incident in Inverness Street, Drumoyne on October 26 last year during which he stabbed Mr Douglas on the neck and body, but eventually admitted culpable homicide.

He also admitted stabbing Mark Devine, another member of the group, to the danger of his life.

Speaking at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, Mrs Douglas said before she had left home she had looked at her son's picture and promised him justice. ''How can I go back and look at his photo now?'' she asked. ''That is not justice.''

She also criticised the picture that had been painted in court, denying that her son had anything to do with gangs. She said he was just a ''football-daft'' teenager who supported Celtic and played pool with his pals.

According to Mrs Douglas, her son had tried to pull Mark Devine away from the knife and had been stabbed as a result. ''They said Mark was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.''

Lady Paton heard how Mr Douglas and seven other teenagers had spent the night drinking heavily and one of the group had a row with Tiffoney as he made his way home drunk and turned back to tell his friends what had happened.

The group, one wielding a baseball bat, went to a flat looking for Tiffoney and banged on the windows and doors, demanding that he come out. When Tiffoney emerged, he was confronted by eight youths, one of whom, Mark Devine, lunged at him with the baseball bat.

Paul McBride QC, defence counsel, told the High Court in Paisley that his client struck out with a knife he had found on the ground as he was surrounded. Mr Devine shouted that he had been stabbed and Mark Douglas sustained a cut to his jugular as Tiffoney was ''swinging his arms around''.

Moments later, Mr Douglas collapsed and both he and Mark Devine were taken to hospital by a passing motorist.

Nothing could be done to save Mr Douglas. Mr Devine had a stab wound which had penetrated his spleen and stomach.

The Crown accepted a plea to culpable homicide in March because of the provocation by the group of youths.

Mr McBride described the case as a tragedy for all concerned, with one young man losing his life and another ruining his. Tiffoney had allowed himself to be goaded into coming out of the house when he should have stayed inside.

Lady Paton told Tiffoney yesterday: ''I cannot ignore the fact that you came out of the flat, you made use of a knife and a life has been taken.''

There were gasps of disbelief from the victim's family when the judge sentenced Tiffoney to five years' detention for both stabbings and police had call for order in the court.