A MAN who denied the murder of his friend dramatically changed his plea to guilty half-way through his trial today.

Frank Donnelly, 34, of Lower Hazel Close, Blackburn, is now facing a life sentence after admitting stabbing to death David McGee, 42, of Grindleton Road, Blackburn.

The four-day trial had reached the end of the prosecution case when the court was re-assembled and defence counsel Peter Wright QC asked that the charge be put to Donnelly again.

The court had previously heard that McGee had been stabbed with such force that the blade of the yellow-handled bread knife had gone through his abdomen, intestines, cartilage, and damaged his spinal bone.

He had a footprint on his face and had suffered eye and thigh injuries, and was found in a bedroom of what the prosecution described as a ‘doss house’, in Grindleton Road, on March 2.

At the start of the trial, Anthony Cross QC, prosecuting, said that the dead man’s blood and DNA were found on a knife, as well as the defendant’s DNA.

Mr McGee’s blood was also said to have been found on a trainer of the defendant.

The Crown claimed forensic evidence linked him to the scene, the knife, and the deadly assault on Mr McGee.

But the defendant had given a witness statement to police to say he had been with Mr McGee, that he had an argument with a group of young men, but that he had fled from the home.

In fact, he came back, armed with a brick and a knife and turned on his friend.

After the case, Detective Superintendent Neil Hunter said: “This was truly a despicable act as the victim classed Donnelly as a friend.

“But, fuelled by alcohol and in a fit of pique, Donnelly attacked his friend, before leaving him for dead.

"What makes this offence even more shocking and cowardly is that Donnelly took advantage of, and attacked, a vulnerable and harmless man, under the influence of alcohol, who was not in a position to defend himself, in his own home.

“Donnelly made some feeble attempts to implicate other people for this murder, but we quickly saw through his lies.

"His efforts to hoodwink the police and blame this murder on other people failed miserably.”

Donnelly will be sentenced tomorrow.