A young man has admitted killing a 34-year-old “gentle giant” in a Christmas party knife attack that sent shockwaves through Perth’s Polish community.
Rafał Rymarkiewicz was stabbed during a gathering in a flat in the Tulloch area of the city.
He was rushed to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee after the frenzied attack on December 23 2017. He died in the early hours of Christmas Eve.
Jakub Kmieciak, who was 19 at the time, was originally accused of murdering Mr Rymarkiewicz.
He appeared at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday and pled guilty to a reduced charge of culpable homicide. The plea was accepted by prosecutors.
Kmieciak, 20, suffers from mental health issues, the court heard. This was confirmed in written submissions by two doctors.
Judge Lord Burns ordered Kmieciak to be detained in hospital before sentencing at the High Court in Livingston on March 26.
Police were summoned after reports of a disturbance at the property in Wallace Court at around 11pm.
The tragedy happened while Mr Rymarkiewicz and friends were enjoying a festive get-together.
The victim was found critically ill by police at the property and taken by ambulance to Ninewells Hospital, where he died hours later.
A large area around the building was sealed off by police for several days, while forensic officers carried out detailed examinations.
Police were stationed outside the block of flats, while the entrance and bin store was taped off.
Detective Inspector Brian Geddes described the tragedy as a “contained and isolated incident and at no point was there any threat posed to any other members of the public”.
Mr Rymarkiewicz was laid to rest during a funeral service in his home city of Inowrocław, in north-west Poland.
Friends from Scotland and Poland paid tribute to Mr Rymarkiewicz on social media.
He was described as a “one-in-a-million” friend and a “gentle giant”.
Another pal wrote: “You’ve always had a big heart and a huge hope that you can help everyone.
“You have managed to get the hearts of many people and in their memory you will remain forever.”
Kmieciak, who stayed at Perth’s Malcolm Court, first appeared in court charged with murder just before Hogmanay 2017. He was originally remanded to Perth Prison.
