A man who stabbed a stranger to death after he had been out drinking watching a Celtic and Rangers game has been jailed for life.
Kai Russell, 24, brutally attacked Kamil Charyszyn, who died in the street close to his home in Easterhouse, Glasgow on March 21, 2021.
The stricken 35-year-old dad managed to state to his partner before he passed away: “Darling, I have been hit with a knife.”
Russell pled guilty at the High Court in Glasgow to a murder charge.
Judge Lord Scott ordered Russell to carry out a minimum 15-and-a-half years behind bars.
He said: “Mr Charyszyn’s partner will be left with stressful traumatic memories of his final hour.
“It is obvious that there has been and will continue to be a devastating impact on his family.
“Nothing said or done here today and no sentence imposed will help Mr Charyszn’s family with their loss.
“The main consideration of sentencing in the unprovoked nature of this matter.”
Prosecutor Graeme Jessop told how the killer and others had been at a house in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire watching the match that day.
It was there Russell was captured on CCTV in possession of a “sword-like knife”.
The group then later returned to Easterhouse to a house party.
But, Russell was booted out after he got into a row with another reveller.
As he and others stood in the street arguing, Mr Charyszn and his partner were returning home.
Mr Charyszn had lived in the area with his family since moving to Scotland from Poland in 2009.
Mr Charyszn’s partner then got into a disagreement with a woman Russell was with.
The victim tried to get her away towards their home.
But, Mr Jessop then explained: “At this point Russell walked towards Kamil Charyszyn…striking him in the neck with a long thin knife.
“Having struck him, Russell ran off making his way to his home address (in Easterhouse).”
Mr Charyszn managed to tell his partner in his own language what had happened.
The victim initially was able to walk, but his condition quickly worsened.
A 999 call was made and members of the public came to his aid.
Emergency crews arrived and emergency surgery was carried out in the street.
But, Kamil never recovered and died at the scene.
The court heard Russell went on to call a woman stating he had “stabbed a man in the neck and then bolted”.
He was quizzed by police days later, but initially released.
However, on April 15, he was arrested again and charged with the murder.
The court was told Mr Charyszn was stabbed in the neck which caused him to be struck in the heart.
The weapon – which was never found – was thought to have an eight-inch blade.
Russell’s KC Brian McConnachie told the sentencing that he has a small recollection of what occurred that day.
He added: “It was an argument that broke out between the wife of the deceased and the partner of Mr Russell which ended up with one man dead and another facing life imprisonment.
“We have two families who are completely destroyed by what happened that night.
“He hasn’t deflected responsibility for what took place and takes responsibility for this offence.”
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