A killer who murdered his best friend by stabbing him more than a dozen times has been jailed for life.

Gary Smith, 24, will serve at least 20 years for killing Joseph McMenemy at his home in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire.

A judge said 27-year-old Mr McMenemy had a "promising future to look forward to" before his death on November 15 last year.

Smith will not be released automatically at the end of his sentence and it will be up to the parole board to determine when it is safe to free him.

He pleaded guilty on the second day of his trial to murdering Mr McMenemyby repeatedly striking him on the head, neck and body with a knife.

Smith inflicted at least ten stab wounds to his victim's neck, damaging jugular veins and carotid arteries, causing blood loss.

He also stabbed Mr McMenemy four times to the chest and shoulders and wounded his face.

One stab wound to the torso passed right through the victim's liver and some of the wounds had cut into bone, the spine and penetrated the skull.

Smith, of Larkhall, South Lanarkshire, was earlier seen with Mr McMenemy at an Aldi in Hamilton where they bought alcohol before returning to the victim's home.

Neighbours later heard men arguing and the sound of dull groans coming from the property.

Defence counsel Tony Graham QC said Smith had never told him why he killed Mr McMenemy.