A killer was facing a lengthy jail sentence today after inflicting a fatal knife wound on the arm of a friend when violence broke out after an argument.
Dawid Majewicz, 43, struck his victim Jacek Dembinski with a kitchen knife after claiming he was hit on the head with a bottle during the row.
Mr Dembinksi, 44, was later seen to collapse, with blood pouring from him, outside the block of flats in Aberdeen where Majewicz lived.
Despite undergoing emergency surgery the victim later died at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, the High Court in Edinburgh heard.
Majewicz was originally charged with murder following the fatal attack, which carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, but pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of culpable homicide, when he appeared in court today.
A judge adjourned sentence on Majewicz until next month for the preparation of a background report to get more information on the killer.
Struck on arm with knife
Lord Scott told him: “Clearly it remains a very serious matter, albeit the charge is one of culpable homicide rather than murder. You should return prepared for a significant custodial sentence on the next occasion.”
Majewicz, a car valeter, formerly of Rosehill Court, in Aberdeen, admitted assaulting and killing Mr Dembinski on August 27 last year.
He struggled with his victim, struck him on the arm with a knife and failed to summon emergency medical aid for the victim.
Advocate depute Louise Beattie said Majewicz, who was born in Poland and moved to Scotland in 2008, has three previous convictions for violence, including a serious assault.
She said he was seen with his victim in an Aldi store buying what appeared to be a large bottle of vodka prior to the fatal attack. Mr Dembinski, who was also originally from Poland, had told a neighbour that he was going to his friend’s home.
They were seen together in a lift at Rosehill Court before going into Majewicz’s flat in the block. The prosecutor said that a neighbour subsequently heard sounds of an on-and-off disturbance coming from the flat.
She told the court that Majewicz’s position was that they were at his flat drinking when they started to argue and the now deceased picked up a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and brandished it at him.
Majewicz picked up the knife and brandished the weapon at his victim and during an ensuing struggle struck him on the arm with the blade after he was hit with the bottle, resulting in significant blood loss.
The injured man was seen in the lift bleeding profusely from his arm and neighbours who saw him outside the block of flats contacted emergency services.
Ms Beattie said: “He was seen by a witness from her window at a nearby block of flats to collapse forward to the ground at which point blood was pouring from underneath him onto the pavement.
A witness who was leaving Rosehill Court heard him say: “Help me, help.”
He went to the stricken victim’s aid until emergency services arrived.
Police who went to Majewicz’s flat found that it was heavily blood-stained throughout.
‘Majewicz is now facing the consequences of his actions’
The victim was later found to have died following complications from the arm wound.
Detective Inspector Gavin Fleming said: “Majewicz is now facing the consequences of his actions on that fateful day.
“Jacek was a much-loved member of his family and they are devastated by his death.
“This in no way lessens the pain of Jacek’s family but I hope it will provide them with some solace that the person responsible for their loved one’s death has been convicted.”
Jacek’s family released a statement paying tribute to him as a much-loved family man.
It read: “Jacek was a much loved Son, Brother, Brother-in-Law, Uncle and Step-Father. He will be greatly missed by all.”