Neilston actor Kevin Guthrie has been freed from prison after winning an appeal against his three-year sentence for sexual assault.

The Sunshine on Leith star was jailed last May for preying on a woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at a flat in Glasgow’s West End in September 2017.

Glasgow Sheriff Court had heard how the attack took place at a property belonging to fellow actor Scott Reid, who shot to fame as Methadone Mick in BBC Scotland’s hit comedy Still Game.

Today, lawyers for 34-year-old Guthrie failed in a bid to quash his conviction following a hearing at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh.

But defence advocate Ian Duguid QC successfully argued that the sentence imposed was too harsh, given the circumstances of the offence.

Mr Duguid argued before judges Lord Carloway, Lord Pentland and Lord Matthews that people in similar positions to Guthrie had been given shorter custodial sentences.

The appeal judges agreed and reduced the sentence to two years.

That meant Guthrie being released from custody immediately, as he had already served the equivalent of a two-year term behind bars.

He had observed today's proceedings via videolink from Dumfries Prison.

Mr Duguid told the court that Guthrie suffered from “defective representation” during his trial and should have his conviction quashed.

He added: “The case was not handled properly. There were failures in the case.”

After refusing to quash Guthrie's conviction but agreeing to reduce his sentence, Lord Carloway told lawyers that the court would publish its reasons sometime in the near future.

During the trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court, Guthrie denied any wrongdoing and said he had only "helped" the woman after she fell ill.

However, the jury was told his DNA was found inside her underwear.

The 29-year-old woman had been due to meet the two actors at a bar in Glasgow but Mr Reid received a call from a taxi driver to collect her, as she appeared to be ill.

He and Guthrie helped the woman into the flat in the Kelvindale area and put her on a bed.

The court heard Mr Reid called NHS 24 and left Guthrie in the room "to make sure she was okay."

The woman recalled: "I remember my top being lifted up and my bra being held down."

She was groped by Guthrie before he performed a sex act on her.

Guthrie carried out a further two sexual acts and kissed her on the mouth.

The court heard he would stop when Mr Reid came back into the room.

Guthrie, who also starred in the Fantastic Beasts films and Netflix series The English Game, was found guilty after a four-day trial and placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.