A man has been found guilty of stabbing his flatmate to death in an Aberdeen block of flats.
Bohdan Cieslar, 59, denied murdering Aleksander Smerdel, 44, claiming he had acted in self defence.
But a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday rejected that defence and convicted him of the lesser charge of culpable homicide.
During Cieslar’s trial, the court was told the pair – who shared a flat in the city’s Donside Court – had enjoyed “a bit of a love-hate relationship”.
Allan Smith, who had employed both men, said: “They would constantly bicker, like a married couple.”
On December 27, however, Cieslar struck his flatmate with a knife, inflicting two fatal wounds to Mr Smerdel’s chest and arm. He was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary but was unresponsive.
Cieslar – who witnesses said had been scared of Mr Smerdel – told jurors he would never have thought of taking Mr Smerdel on in a fight.
He said his victim was a strong man, who was taller, heavier and younger than him.
Cieslar said: “He has assaulted me so many times. I never even hit him back. Nothing.”
He claimed that at the time of the killing Mr Smerdel moved to grab him by the neck, causing him to fall onto a computer table while he had a knife in his right hand.
Mr Smerdel, he said, then lost his balance and fell next to him. He thought the blade had punctured his stomach.
The injury to the victim’s arm was inflicted as he got up and went to strike him as he tried to shield his head, still holding the knife, he said.
Cieslar, who has previous convictions for assault, stalking and abusive and threatening behaviour, later told a police officer: “I didn’t murder. He murder me.”
Elzbieta Dziadczyk, who previously had a relationship with Mr Smerdel, said she knew Cieslar through work and in the weeks before the death she had exchanged messages with him.
Ms Dziadczyk, 46, said: “Bohdan was saying he didn’t want Aleks to know he was texting with me because Aleks is very aggressive and he is scared of him.”
Lord Pentland remanded Cieslar in custody ahead of sentencing on September 12. The judge told jurors that it had been an “anxious case”.
Detective Inspector Gary Winter, who led the inquiry, said: “I would like to thank local residents and colleagues of Mr Smerdel for their assistance throughout the investigation.
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr Smerdel and hope today’s conviction affords an element of closure for them.”
