TEENAGER Philip Mulvanny was yesterday sentenced to life imprisonment at the High Court in Glasgow for the shotgun murder of alleged drug dealer Mr Andrew Falconer. It was his 18th birthday.

There were cries of ``Happy Birthday'' from weeping relatives as Mulvanny was led from the dock.

There was a rumpus in court and police had to step in and usher out friends of the 28-year-old victim who were shouting and swearing.

Mr Falconer's pregnant partner said later that she felt the killer should be hanged. Ms Charmaine Bruce, 25, who is five months pregnant, said that it should be ``a life for a life''.

Last night, Ms Bruce said: ``I'm absolutely delighted that Mulvanny's been sent to prison, but he'll be out in a few years.

``My children have lost their daddy and my baby will never even know his father. There's nothing that can replace that.

``My son has had to see a school psychiatrist since Andy died. They were very close and he just can't get over losing his dad.

``Andy was really pleased when I told him I was pregnant again. He wanted us to have another little boy. For his memory, I hope that's what I have.''

The couple, who had been living with each other for seven years, had three children - Andrew Jr, seven, Stacey, six, and Bernadette, two - and had planned to marry in June of this year.

Mulvanny's cousin and close friend, Mr Gordon Carruthers, 21, of Fraser Crescent, Laighstonehall, Hamilton, had earlier walked free after the jury found the murder charge against him not proven.

The jury took just over an hour to convict Mulvanny of shooting and murdering Mr Falconer, of Kerr Crescent, Fairhill, Hamilton, in nearby Dean Crescent on March 19 this year.

Mulvanny, of Hillhouse Road, Hillhouse, Hamilton, was also found guilty of stabbing the deceased's friend, Mr Gary Walker, 28, to his injury in a previous incident.

During the trial, it was claimed that Mr Falconer was the main supplier of Temazepam in the area, gave the ``jellies'' out on credit, and that Mulvanny owed him #20.

The jury heard how Mulvanny and Mr Falconer were seen fighting in the street at midnight, with the accused's jersey being pulled over his head.

Mulvanny broke free, shouted to someone in a crowd: ``Gie me it, gie me it,'' and was then seen jogging towards the victim with something at his side.

Eyewitnesses told Mrs Valery Stacey, prosecuting, that they saw Mulvanny put the sawn-off shotgun close to Mr Falconer's face and pull the trigger.

Pathologist Marie Cassidy said the gun was fired at such close range that the wad of the cartridge had lodged in the dead man's throat.

It was claimed that Mr Carruthers was the person who handed Mulvanny the gun but there was no corroborative evidence to back this up.

In a second tragedy that night, Mrs Mary Carruthers, the accused's grandmother, who saw the killing from her window in Dean Crescent, died of a heart attack. It was her 73rd birthday.

After the fatal shot, Mulvanny fled and was in hiding for four days before going to the police with his lawyer.

He told Mr Ian Hamilton QC, defending, that unemployed Mr Falconer got out of his white Ford Granada and challenged him about the #20 he owed for jellies.

When his jersey was pulled over his head he said he heard a bang, and then saw Mr Falconer lying on the ground.

Mulvanny said the reason he hid for four days was fear of the victim's friends.