Henry Nowak said 'I'm not racist' in final moments before death, new court documents reveal

Almost 600 pages of evidence, including witness accounts, have shone more light on the night the student was murdered

Almost 600 pages of evidence, including witness accounts, have shone more light on the night the student was murdered

Henry Nowak could be heard saying "I'm not racist" in the final moments before his death, new court documents have revealed.

The 18-year-old university student was stabbed to death December 3 last year as his killer, Vickrum Digwa, accused Mr Nowak of racially assaulting him.

Last month, Digwa was jailed for a minimum 21 years, with his sentence being referred to the Court of Appeal after criticism that the punishment was too lenient.

Harrowing bodycam footage of Mr Nowak's arrest was released by Hampshire Police after the sentencing, showing the student repeatedly telling officers that he had been stabbed while they handcuffed the teenager.

"Don't think you have, mate," one officer could be heard as Mr Nowak informed the police that he was unable to breathe.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has since launched an investigation into the officers involved in Mr Nowak's arrest.

Now, new documents from the 23-year-old Sikh's trial added further information to what is known of Mr Nowak's final moments, as revealed by The Times.

Five residents who lived along the street where Mr Nowak was stabbed gave evidence at Southampton Crown Court during Digwa's trial.

Andrew Mortimore, a long-time local, told the court he heard shouting and male voices at around 11.25pm, causing him and his wife, Fiona, to peer out the window.

Mr Mortimore told the court: "During the time I was observing these people outside the block of flats, I think I heard a male voice say, 'I'm not racist.'

"I couldn’t hear anything else that was being said. These are the only actual words I think I heard."

Prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg KC told the court that "even as Henry is dying" he said: "I'm not a racist...

"That was heard by Andrew Mortimore, one of the witnesses that was read to you, and as he lay dying, Henry denied that he was the attacker."

The lawyer added that Digwa's brother called emergency services and complained that Mr Nowak "verbally attacked his brother racially".

In the background, Mr Nowak could be heard saying: "No, I didn't."

Meanwhile, in more than 600 pages of evidence linked to the trial, Mr Nowak's former girlfriend, a woman of Jamaican and Irish descent, said that "Henry was very proud of my heritage".

She said her ethnicity had "never been an issue" for the couple.

Mr Nowak's killer has since launched a bid to overturn his murder conviction and reduce his sentence, despite the Court of Appeal investigating whether his punishment was "unduly lenient".

During the trial, Digwa was given £79,621 in legal aid, a Freedom of Information request submitted by The Sun revealed.

This figure included £78,300 for the Crown Court trial, £1,100 for representation at Southampton police station and £137 for a warrant of further detention.

A further breakdown of the trial's costs, which started on May 14, found that £66,000 was spent on solicitors and £12,800 was spent on Jeremy Wainwright KC, the killer's barrister.