A man has admitted fatally stabbing his second cousin after an argument over a lawnmower.
Aaron McGuire, 28, fought with 39-year-old Kevin Gallacher on Glencairn Avenue in Wishaw in July this year.
At the High Court in Glasgow, McGuire pleaded guilty to culpable homicide. The court heard that his mother directed police to her son after hearing Mr Gallacher had died.
Judge Lord Beckett QC deferred sentence until next month.
The court heard the men were known to each other and described as “second cousins”, being distantly related to one another.
Advocate depute Steven Borthwick said: “In the course of July 4, the accused and deceased became involved in a dispute over possession of a lawnmower.
“The precise circumstances of this dispute are unclear.”
The court heard McGuire walked to his mother’s house, covered in blood and told her “Gal kept hitting me with a Budweiser bottle”.
The following morning his mother, Maureen Cook, heard Mr Gallacher had died and told police at the scene that her son was at her house and they should take him away.
Defence QC Tony Graham: “Mr Gallacher was related to Mr McGuire, they were friends beyond that.”
He added: “This was a close relationship which has ended through the culpable actions of Mr McGuire taking Mr Gallacher’s life in circumstances which started off as a ridiculous dispute and escalated in to this episode.”
The court heard McGuire is “haunted” by the consequences of his actions.