A KILLER who murdered his cousin by stabbing him 23 times has been jailed for 15 years.

Daniel Ross attacked Gavin Ross (28) at a flat in Dunfermline – despite the pair having been described as the “best of pals”.

They had a row in April this year before Ross grabbed a knife and lashed out at his relative.

The 26 year-old later confessed to police: “I’ve really done it this time. I’m going along for a long time.” Ross was jailed for life at the High Court in Glasgow earlier today after he pleaded guilty to murder.

The attack happened at the home of Gavin Ross in Abbeyview between 28th-30th April.

The court heard that the victim had been at home recuperating after being treated for a blood clot in hospital. The accused then moved in with his cousin to help care for him.

Advocate depute Alison Di Rollo, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Ross suffered 23 stab wounds, 11 of them to the chest.

The prosecutor added: “Three of the wounds to the chest caused damage to the pulmonary artery and the heart.” This led to bleeding in the heart and chest which caused Mr Ross’ death.

Defensive wounds on Mr Ross’ right hand showed that he had fought for his life as he was attacked.

After the fatal attack, Ross sat by his cousin’s body for six hours watching him. He said he did not call for help because he knew he was dead.

Ross then had a bath and put on new clothes. He next covered his cousin’s body with a duvet, his dressing gown and the blood-stained clothes he had taken off along with the murder weapon.

When Ross’ father arrived, he told him: “It was him or me.” At 8.25pm, Ross’ father telephoned the police and put his son on the phone. Ross confessed to police he had killed his cousin.

Brian McConnachie QC, defending, said Ross and his cousin were described as the “best of the pals” and were “never seen without each other”.

But Mr McConnachie told how the pair had been arguing on the night of the killing initially about a “family matter”.

Describing the aftermath, the lawyer went on: “He then sat literally beside (his cousin) incapable of processing what he had just done.” The court heard it had always the been the intention of Ross to then confess to what happened.

Mr McConnachie said, “Police could not stop him telling them what he had been responsible for.” Lord Turnbull said the jail term would have been 18 years but for the guilty plea.

The judge described the killing as a “vicious and prolonged attack”.