A drug-affected tradie who held his friend in a chokehold for several minutes before the other man died will walk free from court.

21-year-old Quinn McPherson was given a three-year community sentencing order by the Victorian Supreme Court after admitting to behaving recklessly and putting someone’s life in danger.

The South Australian carpenter was originally charged with manslaughter over Alex Robinson’s death but ultimately admitted the lesser charge.

The court heard that McPherson, who was training in mixed martial arts, applied a chokehold on Robinson on May 13, 2023, following a night of heavy drinking and drug use.

Robinson remained in that harmful position for a number of minutes in a Melbourne apartment until McPherson stopped upon noticing his friend’s lips changing color.

McPherson told two other friends to call an ambulance and they tried to perform CPR. But Robinson could not be resuscitated and was declared dead at the scene by paramedics.

McPherson told police they had been play fighting and the pair were good friends so he did not intend to hurt him.

In sentencing on Thursday, Justice James Elliott said Robinson’s death was a tragedy and the “play fighting” was inherently dangerous.

But he accepted McPherson was truly remorseful and Robinson’s death would be a burden he held for the rest of his life.

McPherson will have to complete 200 hours of unpaid community work and drug and alcohol treatment as part of his corrections order.