A KILLER walked up to a police cordon and confessed to detectives, saying:

"It's me you're looking for. I did it."

At the High Court in Glasgow Sean Crombie, 20, admitted murdering Ian Rankin by repeatedly striking him on the head and body with a baton, a crutch and a knife at Graham Avenue, Clydebank, on December 29 last year.

The court heard Crombie carried out a frenzied attack on Mr Rankin, 46, stabbing him 36 times. The fatal blows were to Mr Rankin's neck.

Advocate depute Adrian Cottam told the court Mr Rankin, a dad-of-two, was also stabbed in the chest and one of the blows was so forceful it penetrated the breastbone.

The court heard Crombie was a friend of Mr Rankin's teenage son.

The killer, who was carrying a knife in the waistband of the trousers, arrived at Mr Rankin's home looking for his son. He wasn't there, but Mr Rankin - known as Gerry - invited Crombie in for a drink.

A couple of hours later a row developed and around 1am neighbours heard breaking glass.

Crombie later told police Mr Rankin had threatened him and he reacted by hitting him and then "lost it".

The court was told blows rained down on Mr Rankin. He was hit with a baton and a crutch, before being repeatedly stabbed.

Mr Cottam said: "Considerable force was required to inflict the injuries and the pathologist can't rule out some of the injuries being inflicted post-mortem."

Crombie now faces detention for life.

Judge Lord Burns will determine how many years he must spend behind bars before being able to apply for parole when he sentences Crombie on May 19 at the High Court in Aberdeen.