Man convicted of culpable homicide after stabbing flatmate to death

A man killed his flatmate in a bloody knife attack in the home shared after the pair had "a bit of a love-hate relationship".

Bohdan Cieslar, 59, inflicted two major wounds to Aleksander Smerdel's chest and arm in the fatal assault at a high-rise block of flats in Aberdeen.

Cieslar, a Czech born Polish speaker, was charged with murdering Mr Smerdel, 44, after repeatedly striking him on the body with a knife at 58 Donside, Court on December 27 last year.

He denied the offence and lodged a special defence of self defence claiming he was attacked by the deceased.

A jury at the High Court in Edinburgh rejected the defence but convicted him of the lesser charge of culpable homicide.

A judge told Cieslar that he had to get a background report on him before sentencing because he has never previously been jailed.

Lord Pentland remanded him in custody ahead of sentencing on September 12. The judge told jurors that it had been an "anxious case".

Mr Smerdel, who worked as an upholsterer, left family in his native Poland, the court heard. Following the fatal attack he was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary but was unresponsive.

Cieslar said that his victim was a strong man, who was taller, heavier and younger than him. He 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 Smedler went to grab him by the neck and he fell onto a computer table while he had a knife in his right hand.

He said that Mr Smedler lost his balance and fell next to him and he thought the blade had gone into his stomach.

The injury to the victim's arm was inflicted when he got up and went to strike him as he tried to shield his head, still holding the knife, he said.

He told the court that he would never think of taking Mr Smedler on in a fight.

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 Smedler, 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."

Allan Smith, who had employed both men, said Mr Smedler was an alcoholic who "had his demons".

He was asked how Mr Smedler and Cieslar generally got on and replied: "They had a bit of a love-hate relationship in my opinion. They would constantly bicker, like a married couple."