A KILLER is facing a life sentence after he brutally murdered a man and then stated: "I've went too far. I've messed up. I'm covered in blood."

William McLean stabbed Ryan Low 13 times in a fatal knife attack at the victim's home in Springbank Road, Paisley, on June 25, 2020.

McLean, who has a criminal record that includes assault and robbery, had been released from an 18-month sentence of detention a fortnight before he struck.

He was a teenager at the time but appeared as a 21-year-old at the High Court in Edinburgh today as he admitted murdering his victim by repeatedly stabbing him on the head and body.

The court heard that Mr Low, 32, had arranged to visit his sister in Edinburgh but, after she raised concerns, police broke into the Paisley flat, where he lived alone, and found him lying dead on the kitchen floor.

On the evening of June 24, 2020, Mr Low had been joined at his home by McLean and others for some drinks.

One man later left and said that, at that time, nothing untoward was going on.

Advocate depute John Keenan told the court: "The precise details of what happened thereafter are unknown but it seems that, in the early hours of the morning, after he had left, there was a disagreement between the accused and Ryan Low."

The prosecutor said McLean had armed himself with a knife and stabbed his victim in the living room before continuing the attack in the kitchen.

"The precise form and nature of the assault on the deceased on June 25 in 2020 will probably never be known," said Mr Keenan.

McLean, a former delivery driver, later got a bus to Glasgow and phoned a family friend to tell her that he had messed up and was covered in blood.

Mr Keenan said: "About 11am, he called his mother and asked her to pick him up in Clydebank. She collected him and noted he appeared to be under the influence of drink or drugs. He refused to say where he had been."

McLean was later interviewed by police as a witness and admitted he was at Mr Low's flat but claimed the victim was alive when he left.

A blood-stained knife blade was discovered down the back of a sofa at the flat.

A post-mortem was carried out on Mr Low and it was found he had suffered a number of injuries, including four stab wounds to the neck, two of which involved damage to the jugular veins.

The stab wounds to the neck were considered to be the main factor in his death.

Mr Low was also found to have sustained defensive wounds as he tried to protect himself.

Thomas Ross QC, McLean's defence counsel, said: "He has pled guilty to murder in the certain knowledge that he will be sentenced to life imprisonment."

Judge Lord Richardson, who will have to set a minimum term for McLean to serve behind bars as part of his life sentence, said he had committed a "terrible murder."

Sentence was deferred until next month for the preparation of a background report and McLean was remanded in custody.