David Clark killed nephew Andrew Clark in flat in Kirkcaldy
A man has admitted killing his nephew in a knife attack after the men went out drinking following the death of a relative from cancer.
David Clark, 61, stabbed 45-year-old Andrew Clark at a flat in Kirkcaldy in Fife in August last year.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard that David Clark called the emergency services to report the stabbing and said it was "a family matter".
Judge Lord Kinclaven deferred sentence for background reports.
Clark admitted killing his nephew and assaulting him by seizing him by the throat, punching him on the body and stabbing him.
The court heard that he told police that he had ended up fighting with his nephew who "got a hole in the leg".
After the attack the stabbing victim told his girlfriend, Elaine Robertson, that he wanted to go to bed and sleep and dressed his leg to stem the bleeding before going to a bedroom at his uncle's home.
He was left alone for a time but Ms Robertson later went to check on him and found him in bed covered in blood.
Advocate depute Andrew Brown QC said: "She tried to rouse him but it would appear that Mr Clark may have been dead already."
She raised the alarm and emergency services were called and instructions were given on carrying out cardiopulmonary resuscitation and both she and the uncle performed it.
Clark asked for police to attend and said he would speak to them, the court heard.
Paramedics arrived at his flat in Forth View, Kirkcaldy, in Fife, in the early hours of August 8 last year to find Ms Robertson still tending to her boyfriend.
The advocate depute said: "He was naked and had a large amount of blood from his mid thighs down." Blood was on the floor, walls and bedding.
The victim, who was living in Glenrothes, in Fife, but was originally from Aberdeen, was found to have died following the stab wound to the right thigh which damaged the femoral vein.
A knife was found in a kitchen drawer at his home and forensic examination confirmed that blood from the victim was on its hilt.
The advocate depute said: "The offence seems to have stemmed from an alcohol driven argument about the deceased's father after both men had been drinking for 12 hours."
He said the uncle and nephew and Ms Robertson had met up on August 7 following the death of a relative from cancer.
"There had been no animosity previously and witnesses instead describe the three as being in good spirits while in public houses prior to returning to the accused's flat shortly after midnight," he said.
But shortly after they arrived back at the flat neighbours heard shouting which became louder. "It sounded to neighbours as if items were being thrown around," said the advocate depute.
Ms Robertson said there had been an argument between the men over the deceased's father and money which got out of hand.
When the uncle was detained for murder he told police: "It's not murder." The Crown accepted his guilty plea to a reduced charge of culpable homicide.
Mr Brown told the court that the deceased's mother and sister had provided victim impact statements and added: "They are clearly devastated by his death."
Defence counsel Gordon Jackson QC said Clark's recollection of certain matters was different from that of Ms Robertson.
But he added: "He doesn't remember using the knife but he knows it must have been him."
Clark had been on bail but was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing.