Nadine Osman
Neo-Nazi extremist Zack Davies was given a life sentence on September 11 for a racially motivated attack on an Asian man.
Davies was found guilty of attempted murder at a court in North Wales in June after he tried to decapitate a young Sikh.
White supremacist material, including banners, swastika badges and Combat 18 stickers, were found when police searched his home earlier this year.
The 26-year-old went to his local Tesco on January 14, where he used a claw hammer and machete to attack Dr Sarandev Bhambra, 25, shouting: “This is for Lee Rigby.”
During the June trial, Mold Crown Court heard how Dr Bhambra was in Tesco store when he felt a “huge blow” to the back of his head.
Dr Bhambram, a dentist from Leeds, was left with two deep cuts to his head and another to his back.
Davies posted an image of himself in a balaclava with a large knife and the flag of the far-right group National Action hours before he carried out his violent racist attack.
Davies repeatedly hacked at his victim with a 12-inch machete, leaving him with life-changing injuries. It was only when former soldier Peter Fuller’s intervention to stop the violence that saved Dr Bhambra’s life.
Davies said he chose his victim because he “looked Asian”. He told police: “It was irrelevant what religion he was. It was his appearance just the way he looked.”
Dr Bhambra’s brother, Dr Tarlochan Singh Bhambra, said, “Sarandev was singled out because of the colour of his skin. We are in no doubt that had the racial disposition of this case been reversed this would be reported as an act of terror with wider media coverage.
“We as a family have listened intently to the evidence…and are in no doubt given the racial and political motivation that this should be rightly defined as an act of terrorism.”
Dr Bhambra said Davies was a “coward” and the “barbaric incident” was “traumatic and stressful”.
He said: “He attacked me from behind and tried to behead me. By the grace of God, I remained conscious and was able to defend myself. It is abhorrent that he has claimed that he tried to kill me in Lee Rigby’s honour.”