A FRIEND of murdered 28-year-old David Cooper says he cannot forget the last hours they spent together.

Mr Cooper was battered to death in his flat in Calderwood Street, Woolwich, by Mossab Belhocine in the early hours of November 19 last year.

An Old Bailey trial heard Mr Cooper and his murderer met in Soho and went back to Woolwich when Belhocine, a failed asylum seeker, claimed he had nowhere to stay.

The killer claimed he punched and kicked Mr Cooper, who was gay, to escape being raped by him.

But Belhocine was found guilty of murdering the sales assistant after the court heard the 19-year-old Algerian, from Walthamstow, stole electrical items from the flat while Mr Cooper lay dying on the floor.

Stuart Webb, 38, from Croydon, had spent that night talking with Mr Cooper, an old friend he had not seen for several years.

He said: “It’s a memory that hasn’t left my mind.

“His was a face that you could never forget. As soon as he smiles you’re never going to forget him.

“I’m grateful to be the last person to spend time with him before he died. That’s special for me.”

Belhocine had made an application for asylum after his visitor’s visa, giving a false name and age last March, but the application had been rejected.

Mr Webb said: “I just personally think David was let down by this country’s government to be honest.

“We’ve all been victims of this.

“I hope we can get some peace now.”

Belhocine, part of a network of Algerian pickpockets, was sentenced by Judge Stephen Kramer to a minimum of 24 years in jail for murder and 10 years for robbery, to run concurrently.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Another charge of robbery will lie on file.