Latest news with #Dembinski
STV News
22-04-2025
- STV News
Killer who fatally stabbed friend in row at flat block jailed
A man who fatally stabbed his friend following an argument at a flat block in Aberdeen has been jailed for five years and four months. Dawid Majewicz, 43, struck his friend Jacek Dembinski with a kitchen knife and inflicted a wound on his arm during a confrontation in Aberdeen last August. The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Majewicz claimed Mr Dembinski hit him on the head with a bottle in the moments leading up to the stabbing. Mr Dembinksi, 44, was later seen to collapse with blood pouring from him outside the block of flats in Aberdeen where Majcewicz lived. Despite undergoing emergency surgery, the victim later died at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, the High Court in Edinburgh heard. On Tuesday, Majewicz appeared for sentencing again at the High Court in Edinburgh. Sentence had been deferred at an earlier hearing for judge Lord Scott to receive reports on the offender's background. Police Scotland Dawid Majewicz At the latest hearing, defence advocate David Moggach KC told Lord Scott that his client was struggling to come to terms with what he had done. Mr Moggach added: 'He is hugely and deeply regretful of his actions. He has expressed remorse, genuine remorse. 'It was not his intention to kill Mr Dembinski. '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.' 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 earlier this year. Majewicz admitted to 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 call for medical help. Prosecutor 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. STV News Rosehill Court: Man arrested after stabbing. 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. The victim was later found to have died following complications from the arm wound. On Tuesday, Lord Scott told Majewicz that he'd also be supervised by the authorities for two years and eight months following his release from custody. 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.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Press and Journal
22-04-2025
- Press and Journal
Man who killed friend in Aberdeen high-rise confrontation jailed for five years
A remorseful killer who 'struggles' to come to terms with how he took his friend's life following an argument has been jailed for five years and four months. Dawid Majewicz, 43, struck pal Jacek Dembinski on the arm with a kitchen knife during a confrontation in Aberdeen last August. The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Majewicz claims that Mr Dembinski hit him on the head with a bottle in the moments leading up to the stabbing. Mr Dembinksi, 44, was later seen to collapse with blood pouring from him outside the block of flats in Aberdeen where Majcewicz lived. Despite undergoing emergency surgery, the victim later died at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, the High Court in Edinburgh heard. Today, Majewicz appeared for sentencing again at the High Court in Edinburgh. Sentence had been deferred at an earlier hearing for judge Lord Scott to receive reports on the offender's background. At the latest hearing, defence advocate David Moggach KC told Lord Scott that his client was struggling to come to terms with what he had done. Mr Moggach added: 'He is hugely and deeply regretful of his actions. He has expressed remorse, genuine remorse. 'It was not his intention to kill Mr Dembinski. '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.' 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 earlier this year. 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. Prosecutor 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 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. The victim was later found to have died following complications from the arm wound. On Tuesday, Lord Scott told Majewicz that he'd also be supervised by the authorities for two years and eight months following his release from custody. 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.'
Forbes
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Most Brits Back Green Spaces Over New Infrastructure, Survey Finds
Tree planting to absorb C02 emmissions, Geltsdale, Cumbria, UK. (Photo by Ashley Cooper/Construction ... More Photography/Avalon/Getty Images) Almost three quarters of British people believe protecting green spaces should take priority over building new infrastructure, according to a new survey. The survey of more than 2,000 people for the search engine Ecosia found just 15% of respondents think building infrastructure is more important for economic and social development. Nearly half (47%) strongly support conservation, while just over a quarter (26%) back green space protection if alternative locations for housing and infrastructure are available The U.K. government published new details of its proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill earlier this month, which includes a commitment to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five fours. As part of the reforms, councils will be ordered to review their 'green belt' boundaries to meet targets by identifying lower quality land that could be built on, which has led some campaigners to question some green spaces will be lost in the push for new homes. The survey also reveals a growing public anxiety about the climate crisis. More than half (55.8%) of respondents said they feel anxious about climate change, with younger generations expressing the highest levels of concern. In addition, over one-third (39%) are worried about how climate change will impact where they live in the future. This concern drastically rises to 58% for those aged 25-34. It also found environmental awareness is rising, with 50% of respondents stating their views on climate issues have become more pronounced. The shift is especially evident among younger voters, with almost two thirds (63%) of both 16 to 24 and 25 to 34-year olds reporting a stronger focus on environmental concerns. Ecosia's head of policy and climate action, Sophie Dembinski said more and more British people want to see the government to protect nature in an interview. Dembinski added the U.K. is one of the most 'nature depleted countries on Earth' and the current government's growth agenda should not come at the cost of the environment. 'There many ways for the government to meet its housing targets, which will not require the destruction of nature,' she told me. Dembinski said there needs to be a 'climate-safe future for housing as well, with more homes insulated properly and more energy efficient. She added the growing sense of anxiety about climate change is not surprising, because it's impact on many people's lives is becoming clearer. 'I think the realities of climate change are coming home to people, whether it is through increased flooding risk or wildfires. Climate change no longer feels like a thing that is really far away anymore,' said Dembinski. 'And there's no business on a dead planet. We can talk about economic growth, but not that's not going to provide a reassuring picture to people who want to see us take climate and nature really seriously.' Shaun Spiers, executive director at Green Alliance, said the U.K. needs many more new homes, better public transport infrastructure and unprecedented investment in clean energy in an email. Spiers added the challenge for U.K. politicians is to get building, but in ways that protect and enhance nature. 'British people are nature lovers, so attacking bats and newts will backfire, and attempting to tear down the planning system usually ends in tears,' said Spiers. 'But when the government works constructively with wider society, we can find sensible solutions, like ensuring communities benefit from hosting electricity infrastructure.' However, the U.K. government did recently announce the first national forest in 30 years, which will be planted from the Cotswolds to the Mendips and create at least 2,500 hectares of new woodland. The Western Forest will be spearheaded by the Forest of Avon, one of England's Community Forests supported by up to £7.5 million of government funding over five years. 'The Western Forest was selected because of its ability to demonstrate a similar scale of ambition, with trees and woods supporting growth and farming while enhancing nature's recovery and access to green space," said National Forest chief executive, John Everitt in a statement.
