Man admits brutal Paisley knife murder

Ryan Low was found dead in his flat in Paisley

A 21-year-old has admitted brutally murdering a man in a flat in Paisley by stabbing him on the head and body with a knife.

William McLean stabbed 32-year-old Ryan Low 13 times in the attack at the victim's home in June 2020.

McLean had been released from an 18-month sentence of detention a fortnight before the attack.

After the stabbing, he told a family friend: "I've went too far. I've messed up. I'm covered in blood."

McLean, who has a criminal record that includes offences of assault and robbery, was a teenager at the time of the attack.

He admitted the murder when he appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh.

The court heard that Mr Low had been drinking at his home in Paisley's Springbank Road, in the company of McLean and some others. One man left and said, at that time, nothing untoward was going on.

Covered in blood

Advocate depute John Keenan, prosecuting, said: "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 25 June 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.

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

Mr Low's DNA was found on a bloodstained knife blade discovered down the back of a sofa at the flat.

Defensive wounds

A post-mortem examination was carried out on the deceased and it was found that among the injuries were four stab wounds to the neck, two of which damaged 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 in an attempt to protect himself.

The judge, Lord Richardson, who will have to set a minimum term McLean must serve under a life sentence said he had committed a "terrible murder".

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