A FIRST-year university student was stabbed to death by a man wielding a 21cm knife who called himself a “bad man”, a court heard.

Henry Nowak, 18, was walking home from a night out with his football team when he was allegedly confronted by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa.

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Police at the scene in Southampton following the murder of Henry Nowak Credit: Solent

Henry died after the incident on December 3 last year Credit: Solent

Southampton Crown Court heard that Mr Nowak, a first-year university student from Essex, was recording Snapchat videos for his friends when he encountered his killer.

Mr Digwa is on trial for murder following the incident in Belmont Road, Southampton, on December 3 last year.

He is further charged with carrying a knife in public, while his mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, is accused of assisting an offender by removing the weapon from the scene.

Opening the case for the prosecution, Nicholas Lobbenberg KC said the victim’s own mobile phone captured the moment he met his attacker.

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The jury was told that Mr Digwa was openly carrying an “extremely large shastar” knife in a sheath over his clothing.

“At half-past midnight that night, Henry was dead,” Mr Lobbenberg said.

The prosecutor told the court that the student had been fatally stabbed with the very weapon Mr Digwa had “chosen to carry out on to the street.”

While no witnesses saw the physical struggle, neighbours were alerted by Mr Nowak’s cries that he had been stabbed and was dying.

“Tragically, Henry was right on both counts,” the prosecutor remarked.

The court heard that a wounded Mr Nowak attempted to escape by climbing over a fence, leaving a trail of blood that suggested he had already been struck.

Mr Digwa is alleged to have “aggressively pursued” the teenager rather than seeking help for his injuries.

Footage recovered from Mr Nowak’s phone, which was later found in the defendant’s pocket, was played to the jury.

In the recording, the student is heard singing and yawning before the camera pans to show Mr Digwa walking away.

Mr Nowak is heard to say: “Innit bad man, what bad man. You’re a bad man, say you’re a bad man, go on.”

The defendant is heard to reply, “I am a bad man,” before the footage abruptly ends.

The prosecution alleged that Mr Digwa’s mother was later seen on video taking the 21cm blade back to the family home.

When police arrived at the scene, Mr Digwa claimed he had been racially abused and attacked by a “drunken man.”

Mr Lobbenberg told the jury that the defendant offered no assistance to the dying student, instead accusing him of being a racist.

Officers initially handcuffed the injured teenager and administered first aid before he collapsed and lost consciousness.

Despite the efforts of a doctor who arrived by helicopter, Mr Nowak was declared dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination revealed four stab wounds, including two to the back of the legs, and a cut to the jaw.

Forensic analysis found the victim’s blood and fatty tissue on the knife, alongside DNA from Mr Digwa’s mother on the sheath.

The court heard that in addition to the 21cm blade he was carrying, Mr Digwa wore a smaller ceremonial kirpan around his neck.

Mr Lobbenberg noted that while Sikhism obliges followers to carry a kirpan, the smaller blade satisfied any religious requirement.

He argued that the defendant specifically chose to carry the much larger weapon on the streets of Southampton.

In a prepared statement, Mr Digwa claimed he acted in self-defence after Mr Nowak launched a “drunken, racist attack” and pulled off his turban.

The defendant told police he “stabbed out twice” while his hair was over his eyes, obscuring his vision.

However, the prosecution pointed to footage showing Mr Digwa’s hair in a tight bun during the chase, only for it to be down when police arrived.

“Why has he put his hair down for the arrival of the police?” Mr Lobbenberg asked.

Jeremy Wainwright KC, defending, argued the knife was within the permitted length for a religious kirpan and asked jurors to consider who initiated the confrontation.

The defence maintains that the prosecution must prove Mr Digwa was not the victim of a racist attack.

Mr Digwa and his mother deny all charges. The trial continues.