He went back to Mr Skorek, who was unconscious and making a snoring sound. Samuel stabbed him once in the face and once in the upper chest. Mr Skorek also received another stab wound to the chest, a six-inch open wound on his throat and suffered a fractured skull.
Rotorua Crown prosecutor Amanda Gordon said the murder was committed in an attempt to avoid detection for the earlier assault and was aggravated by the fact Mr Skorek was unconscious and vulnerable at the time.
Samuel's lawyer Martin Hine said his client had asked him to express his remorse for his involvement in the "tragedy''.
"He views it very much as a tragedy. It has scarred his soul and will do so for the rest of his life. He will do everything in his power to try and put right in any practical way what he has been embroiled in as a central figure.
"His family has been with him and supported him and they also express deep remorse for what has happened."
Justice Peters said until recently Samuel denied he stabbed Mr Skorek, but had now acknowledged he stabbed the man twice.
She said when he committed the murder Samuel was drunk and was acting to protect his friend from Mr Skorek's perceived sexual advances.
"Those advances are irrelevant. They could not have in any way warranted that sort of reaction."
Justice Peters said at the time of the pre-sentence report Samuel was on medication for schizophrenia, depression and high blood pressure. She said he had attempted suicide in 2008 and at Christmas 2011.
In reaching the sentence, which she described as the "minimum that was open to her" she took into account his remorse and early guilty plea.
