A man accused of murder at an Aberdeen high-rise was previously beaten up by the man he is alleged to have fatally attacked, a court has heard.
Bohdan Cieslar, 59, has denied murdering Aleksander Smerdel on December 27 last year at 58 Donside Court, Aberdeen, by repeatedly striking him on the body with a knife.
Cieslar has lodged a special defence in his trial at the High Court in Edinburgh that he acted in self defence having been attacked by the deceased.
A man, who employed both of them in businesses, told the court Mr Smerdel, 44, was an alcoholic who “had his demons”.
Allan Smith, of Aberdeen, said: “Seeing Aleks drunk was nothing new to us.”
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Mr Smith had employed Mr Smerdel as an upholsterer at a furniture manufacturing firm and Cieslar previously worked as a driver at another firm.
He said he had visited them at the flat in Donside Court where they lived and said they both liked to drink.
He said that, in his opinion, Mr Smerdel used to bully the other man and added that they would constantly bicker.
Mr Smith told defence counsel Ian Duguid QC that Cieslar used to send him messages saying he had been beaten up.
He said: “I witnessed the aftermath a couple of times.”
He agreed that he had spoken to police about a particular occasion in 2018 and added: “It could have been a year ago, a year and a half ago.”
“Bohdan had messaged me a picture of his face bleeding, “ he said.
He said he wanted to go round to the house and get Mr Smerdel out.
The trial before Lord Pentland continues.
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