A FUNERAL director has been found guilty of murdering his wife and two-year-old son after a Christmas drinking session.

Garry Lockhart, 33, strangled his 28-year old wife Janet and smothered his son Michael in the family home in South Chesters Lane, Bonnyrigg, on December 28 last year.

Lockhart's trial at the High Court in Edinburgh was told he had returned home at 2am having consumed six pints and a number of shorts. His blood alcohol level was three times over the drink-drive limit.

His wife was due to go to work at 4am and an argument broke out as she was concerned he was in no fit state to look after Michael if he woke. During the row he strangled her.

After sitting beside her body for a while, he went upstairs to the main bedroom.

Lockhart said when his son woke up, he talked and played with him. But then, he added: "I put the pillow over him, he struggled and then he passed out."

His wife's body had already been carried to the main bedroom, and he covered them with a duvet as if they were sleeping.

At the end of the five-day trial a jury of eight men and seven women found he had murdered them both.

Lockhart's defence solicitor advocate, Brian Gilfedder, had offered a plea of guilty to murder in respect of Mrs Lockhart, but not guilty to his client's murdering his son, claiming Lockhart had been suffering diminished responsibility due to an abnormality of mind and would plead guilty to a reduced charge of culpable homicide. This had been rejected by the Crown.

During the trial, Lockhart told the court: "I could not believe it happened. I didn't believe it was real."

He explained he believed in reincarnation and the afterlife and was worried about what would happen to Michael with his mother dead and his father in jail and decided the only solution was to kill his son then commit suicide.

Advocate depute Iain McSporran QC asked him: "So you decided to end Michael's earthly life so he could be with you and Janet".

Mr Gilfedder asked Lockhart: "So your thought process was solely directed to killing Michael so he could join Janet and you had no other alternative at that time." "No" Lockhart replied.

Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Andrew Well said although Lockhart was not suffering from a mental disorder or illness, his decision-making appeared to have been substantially impaired and he could have been suffering an acute stress reaction due to his wife's death.

The jury took 80 minutes to return a unanimous verdict of guilty to the murder of Janet Lockhart and a majority verdict of guilty to the murder of Michael.

Judge Lady Wise told Lockhart the only sentence for murder was life imprisonment but she was calling for social work reports to help determine the minimum term he would have to serve. Lockhart will be sentenced on October 16.

After the hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Scott Cunningham, who led the murder inquiry, said: "In 22 years in the police service this is one of the most tragic, traumatic and heart- breaking investigations I have been involved with.

"The unforeseen actions of Garry Lockhart are completely incomprehensible and only he knows why he took the lives of his wife and son."