Drunk Tristan Mepham made it easy for detectives to solve the riddle of who knifed an ex-soldier in a late-night attack.

The 23-year-old Margate man walked up to a police officer guarding the area around the incident and told him: "I did it."

The officer retorted: "You did what?"

Mepham replied: "I attacked him!"

But a judge at Canterbury Crown Court heard the officer knew Mepham... and did not believe him.

Twice he told him to go away and to allow fellow officers to continue investigating the frenzied attack on former squaddie Duncan Kelly.

Mepham's barrister told the judge the police officer was sceptical about his confession - and Mepham had "to persist to ensure the officer recognised his role in the attack".

Mepham, of Trinity Square, admitted wounding Mr Kelly with intent and was jailed for three-and-a-half years.

The court heard how Mepham - who had been drinking cider - had gone to the home of Mr Kelly and his partner, mum-of-four Caroline Cook, with a friend.

Rebekah Humerstone, prosecuting, said the two men had left - but Mepham returned half-an-hour later to continue drinking.

Mr Kelly claimed he asked Mepham to leave and could not remember anything else until he heard Ms Cook shouting.

He was later rushed to hospital after both his lungs collapsed from the seven stab wounds.

Tristan Mepham was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court

Ms Cook said after seeing Mepham to the door with her partner, she returned to the sitting room and did not see any fight.

But Mepham told the judge there had been a row during the evening when Mr Kelly became angry at discussions over one of the fathers of Ms Cook's children.

He said he was then punched in the face before Mr Kelly grabbed a knife from the kitchen and lunged at him.

Mepham said he disarmed his attacker and then stabbed him seven times before dumping the weapon and running away.

The judge, Recorder Peter Morgan, said: "I am prepared to accept that it was not you, but Mr Kelly who produced the knife and you disarmed him and then used it on him.

"Nevertheless, you stabbed a man in the back seven times in what has been described as a frenzied attack in which both your victim's lungs collapsed."