A man, who brutally stabbed a friend in Margate in a drunken rage and then faked being unconscious, was jailed for life this afternoon.

Stanistav Dubis was so angry after threatening to kill his nephew who then fled the flat in Market Place.

It was then the thug turned his attention on peacemaking friend Slawomir Bartos and stabbed him through the heart.

Judge Adele Williams, in passing a life sentence, told him he had carried out the attack when he was “inflamed by alcohol”.

“This was a willful murder carried out in a drunken rage.”

After the jury’s verdict, Canterbury Crown Court heard Dubis, 49, had a substantial criminal record in his native Poland, including dishonesty and serious acts of violence.

In contrast, his 45-year-old victim had come to Britain in search of a better life and had landed a job – and had been acting as a peacemaker in Dubis’ bust up with his nephew.

After making death threats nephew Mateusz Skotnicki fled in fear - but Dubis then “transferred that intention” to Mr Bartos, who had pulled the two apart minutes earlier.

The judge told him: “You turned your drunken rage on him instead and stabbed him through the heart and in his arm as he tried to defend himself.

“Throughout the trial you cynically tried to evade your responsibility by denying any involvement in the killing.”

The jury took less than two hours before finding him guilty of murder and he will have to serve a minimum of 19 years before being considered for parole.

She added: “But you may never be released."

Dubis claimed he had been knocked unconscious after being punched and slapped in an attack in his flat.

Mr Bartos was found bleeding from a wound to his chest in a stairwell at the flat and a trail of blood led to a bedsit in the building occupied by fellow Polish national Dubis.

The judge commended the police investigation team of DI Ivan Beasley, DS Adam Marshall and DC Neil Martin for their work in solving the case.