Drunken Pole who killed friend jailed for 13 years

Karol Szwejkowski, 30, attacked fellow Pole Witold Reichert, 43, for no apparent reason, the High Court in Edinburgh heard.

They had been celebrating a friend's birthday in a flat in Brechin, Angus, on 28 June last year.

Szwejkowski was cutting a plastic bottle in half to use it as a vessel, or bong, to smoke cannabis, and turned the knife on Mr Reichert, striking him only once in the stomach.

"It is clear alcohol played a major part in events," defence counsel Mark Stewart QC told the court. "The level of force, determined by the pathologist, was at the lower end of the scale, despite the fact it had tragic consequences. Immediately, the accused was instrumental in seeking assistance."

Szwejkowski was found guilty of murder after a trial last month and the judge, Lord Bannatyne, said the only sentence he could impose was life imprisonment.

In fixing the minimum period to be served before the accused could apply for parole, the judge said the appeal court had advised that 16 years should be considered for murders involving knives.

However, that related to incidents where people deliberately armed themselves with a weapon and, here, Szwejkowski had possession of the knife to make a container to smoke cannabis.

"But this was an assault involving the use of a deadly weapon. A man who was doing no more than enjoying a day out, drinking and eating and generally socialising, was stabbed to death for no apparent reason by someone he regarded as a friend," said the judge. "I believe a punishment part of 13 years would be appropriate."