A 23-year-old Sikh man accused of fatally stabbing a university student in Southampton has told a court he believed the teen was about to use his ceremonial blade against him during a violent street struggle. Southampton Crown Court heard that Henry Novak, 18, of Chafford Hundred, Essex, died after a fight on Belmont Road on December 3 last year as he returned to his accommodation after a night out, the BBC reports.Vikram Digva denied the murder and denied carrying a knife in public.DeGwa told jurors the incident began shortly before 11.30pm when the pair passed each other on the sidewalk as he walked to pick up curry chips from a nearby car.“It looked to me like he was drunk,” the defendant said.“He rammed into me. I thought he did it on purpose.”DeGava said Novak then turned back and told him: “You could have gone a little further.”The court heard the argument escalated when the teenager allegedly used a racial slur and said: “Do you think you’re a bad guy? I’m from Essex. You don’t know what the people of Essex go through.”Jurors were shown footage recorded on a mobile phone after Novak allegedly began filming the defendant.“I went to block the phone. I have caught him too,” Digva said.“This is when he punched me.”He told the court that the confrontation became more aggressive when his turban was pulled off during the struggle.“As soon as I bent over, he started saying: ‘I’m going [expletive] You get up, I will kill you,” Digwa said.The defendant said he feared Novak would take his kirpan, a ceremonial Sikh blade worn in a sheath around his neck.He said, “I felt I had to do something because I was afraid he would attack me with my own saber.”The court had previously heard that the blade measured approximately 21cm.Degawa said he never intended to stab the teen in the chest and claimed he had only tried to push him away. “I’m sorry this happened,” he said, becoming emotional in court.Earlier in the trial, jurors heard that the first-year University of Southampton student had drunk alcohol before the incident, but was below the drink-driving limit.Prosecutors said a confrontation was not observed. Novak suffered five stab wounds or lacerations and after being injured he attempted to escape by climbing over a fence.The court also heard that police officers initially handcuffed the teen, but they discovered he had suffered fatal injuries.Digva, of St Denis Road, Southampton, admitted he did not immediately tell officers he had stabbed Novak because he was “scared”.His mother Kiran Kaur, 53, is also facing trial, accused of allegedly assisting a criminal by removing weapons from the crime scene. She denies the allegation.