A man who fatally stabbed his friend after a drunken argument turned violent has been jailed for more than five years.

Dawid Majewicz, 43, struck Jacek Dembinski, 44, with a kitchen knife at Rosehill Court tower block, Aberdeen in August last year.

Mr Dembinski had emergency surgery at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, but died from complications.

Majewicz was originally charged with murder, but previously admitted the reduced charge of culpable homicide. He was jailed for five years and four months at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Majewicz, a car valeter, admitted assaulting and killing Mr Dembinski on 27 August last year. He struggled with his victim, struck him on the arm with the knife, and failed to summon emergency medical aid for the victim.

Advocate depute Louise Beattie had earlier told how Majewicz – who was born in Poland and moved to Scotland in 2008 – had three previous convictions for violence, including serious assault.

The two men were seen together in a lift at Rosehill Court before going into Majewicz’s flat in the block.

The prosecutor said a neighbour heard sounds of an on-and-off disturbance.

She told the court that Majewicz’s position was that they were at his flat drinking when they started to argue, and that Mr Dembinski had picked up a bottle and brandished it at him.

The court heard Majewicz picked up the knife and brandished the weapon. During an ensuing struggle, he struck Mr Dembinski on the arm with the blade after he was hit with the bottle.

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.

He died following complications from the arm wound.

Defence counsel David Moggach told Lord Scott that Majewicz was “hugely and deeply regretful” of his actions.

“It was not his intention to kill Mr Dembinski,” he said.

“He has to accept and live with the fact that his actions have resulted in him taking somebody else’s life. He struggles with that.”

Passing sentence, Lord Scott said: “There’s no sentence that I can impose that can help Mr Dembinski or help his family deal with the loss of a loved one through a violent death.

“In all the circumstances, a custodial sentence is the only appropriate disposal in this case.

“It is necessary as to punish you and to seek to deter you and others from acting in this way and to protect the public from you.”

Mr Dembinski’s family said in a statement at the time: “Jacek was a much-loved son, brother, brother-in-law, uncle and step-father. He will be greatly missed by all.”