A teenager has admitted killing a 17-year-old schoolboy.

John McCowan, 17, who is charged with murdering Christopher Knox on June 10 this year, pled guilty at the High Court in Glasgow on Friday to the reduced charge of culpable homicide. His plea was rejected by the Crown, so he will now stand trial for murder.

Co-accused David Paton, 17, Sean O'Neill, 19, Adam Johnstone, 16 and David Rice, 18, all from Greenock, deny murdering the teenager in the town's Kylemore Terrace.

It is alleged that all five knew that Mr Knox was due to appear as a witness in an assault and robbery case against Paton. The quintet are charged with intimidating Mr Knox before chasing him and repeatedly punching and kicking him on the head and body before striking him on the body with a knife.

All five teenagers deny murdering the 17-year-old.

Defence QC Brian McConnachie, representing McCowan, said: "I have instructions to tender a certain plea. He is willing to plead guilty to the charge under deletion of murder and the substitution of killing."

Mr McConnachie added: "I'm not saying he accepts everything which is in the narrative of this charge."

Advocate depute Peter McCormack, prosecuting, refused to accept the plea.

McCowan is also accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by cleaning the blade of the knife allegedly used in the crime and allegedly instructing Scott Irvine to tell police that he was at home all night and nothing had happened.

Judge Lord McEwan continued the case until next month for a further preliminary hearing. No trial diet has been set.