5 days ago

A weapons-obsessed killer who stabbed a student to death has been jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years.

Vickrum Digwa, 23, used a 21cm (8in) blade he said he carried as part of his Sikh faith to kill Henry Nowak, 18, who was walking home alone after a night out with friends in Southampton on 3 December.

The victim, from Essex, was handcuffed by police as he lay dying at the scene after Digwa lied, claiming he had been racially abused by the teen and had acted in self-defence. He told officers his turban had been knocked off and that he had been injured.

Judge William Mousley KC told a packed Southampton Crown Court that Digwa had brought "shame" upon his family and his religion.

Bodycam footage released by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, with the family's permission, shows officers arriving at the scene and speaking to Digwa and others.

Nowak, who is seen on the ground in the video, can be heard saying "I've been stabbed" and "I can't breathe" multiple times.

The footage shows officers turning Nowak onto his side and handcuffing his hands behind his back.

After a couple of minutes, Nowak becomes unresponsive. An officer proceeds to tell him he is under arrest for assault.

The police then contact an ambulance to check on Nowak.

Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Robert France apologised and said officers had been lied to in a 999 call made by Digwa's brother and had faced an "extremely complex" crime scene.

Mousley dismissed the racism claims made by Digwa, adding his actions had "stirred up racial tension in Southampton and across the country which have made many Sikhs worried about their safety".

"You were sober but were carrying a large Sikh dagger," Mousley said.

He added Digwa had murdered a "much-loved" young man, inflicting a "lifetime of loss upon his family".

Speaking outside court, the victim's father, Mark Nowak, said the contrast between how his son and Digwa had been treated was "unbearable".

"Henry should not have died on the streets of Southampton in police custody," he said, calling it "inhumane and degrading".

Mark Nowak added Digwa "was afforded decency" and "we understand, he was never handcuffed at all".

"Henry did not die with dignity. He did not die with the care he deserved. He lost consciousness before anyone believed him," he said.

He called for a "full, fearless and transparent" investigation into the police handling of the case, adding the family "should not have to fight for the truth".

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Inside the courtroom, Mark Nowak had said he was "tormented" by thoughts of his son's death.

"I couldn't help Henry in his final moments and there is nothing I can do to bring him back," he said.

With his voice breaking as he finished speaking, he said: "To my dying son, who I love beyond words, I'm so sorry that I let this happen."

Prosecuting barrister Nicholas Lobbenberg KC said Digwa had a "weapons obsession", adding his depiction to police of Nowak as a "racist, drunk, violent aggressor compounds the natural grief and loss of the deceased's family".

Sir Keir Starmer commented on the case in a post on X, where he said: "This an awful, shocking case.

"Henry's loved ones have gone through the trauma of a long trial and endured Henry's killer making up appalling claims about their son who was thoughtful, kind and deeply loved.

"It is right that the IOPC is investigating the police's response to his senseless murder. And we must end the cycle of tragedy by tackling the horror of knife crime.

Nowak, from Chafford Hundred in Essex, was a first-year student at the University of Southampton. The court heard previously how he had been walking back to his accommodation after drinking to a level that was below the drink-drive limit.

Digwa was in Belmont Road at about 23:30 GMT with the murder weapon in a sheath attached to his belt.

The court was told the attack was not witnessed, but neighbours heard Nowak say he had been stabbed and was dying.

He tried to escape by climbing over a fence, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

The prosecution said he was stabbed five times, including twice in the back of his legs, once in the face and a fatal wound to the chest.

Digwa gave the knife to his mother and it was later found by police at their family home along with more than 20 other weapons.

Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones described the incident as a "national tragedy".

She said it was "devastating" officers did not believe Henry Nowak when he said he had been stabbed and could not breathe.

"The details of the police response raises serious concerns about police impartiality, fairness and judgement," she added.

She said any findings made in the IOPC would be "implemented without delay".

The Sikh Federation said the blade used by Digwa was not a religious knife, known as a kirpan.

Section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 states that it shall be a defence for a person charged with having an article with blade or point in public place to prove that they had the article with them for religious reasons.

If the item is used in an act of violence then it is deemed an offensive weapon.

The CPS said that Digwa chose to carry two ceremonial knives and that the judge's finding of fact made clear that he agreed with its assessment that this was a kirpan that Digwa chose to use.

Following Digwa's conviction, prominent right-wing figures, including the world's richest man Elon Musk, have criticised current UK law around carrying the knife.

Digwa was also sentenced for carrying a knife in public and his mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, was found guilty of assisting an offender after she attempted to hide the blade used in the attack. She will be sentenced on 17 July.