A rapist serving a life sentence for murder was yesterday jailed for 12 years after confessing to police about another unsolved killing.

Lord Emslie, at the High Court in Edinburgh, ordered that Rikki Stewart should only start serving his latest jail term after he completes a 10year sentence imposed for a rape.

Stewart was suspected of killing Donald Nicholson, his mother's 43-year-old boyfriend, in 2001 but there was insufficient evidence to charge him. In the meantime he murdered another man and raped a woman.

After being convicted, he confessed to police that he had killed Mr Nicholson.

Stewart earlier pled guilty to culpable homicide. He admitted attacking Mr Nicholson at the victim's home in Dalswinton Avenue, in Dumfries, in September 2001.