Vickrum Digwa who stabbed Henry Nowak five times with his religious knife in the UK has been sentenced for life, concluding a high-octane case that was being followed all across the world. As the incident took place in December 2025, the Hampshire Police arrested and handcuffed Nowak as he was dying, as Digwa told the officers that he had been racially abused by the 18 -year-old student. During the trial, the Sikh Federation has criticised the Crown Prosecution Service for making a “massive blunder” and calling the knife ‘kirpan’.As the sentence was handed down, shouting began between the families and the friends.“You have brought shame upon your family and your religion,” the judge told Vickrum Digwa as he announced the verdict. “Your actions have stirred up racial tension in Southampton and across the country which have made many Sikhs worried about their safety.” The judge adds: “You bear some responsibility for the offence committed by your mother… when you asked her to take the murder weapon away from you… Your mother has remained in custody for the past seven months.”
Timeline of Henry Nowak’s murder case
December 3, 2025
- 18-year-old University of Southampton finance student Henry Nowak was walking home after a night out with football teammates in the Portswood area of Southampton.
- He encountered Vickrum Digwa, then 22, who was carrying a knife.
- A confrontation followed. Evidence later showed Digwa told Nowak, “I am a bad man” before stabbing him five times, including a fatal wound to the heart.
- When police arrived, Digwa claimed he had been racially abused and assaulted.
- Officers initially handcuffed Nowak before realizing he had suffered critical stab wounds. He died at the scene.
December 8, 2025 – Murder chargeHampshire Police charged Vickrum Digwa with murder. The case attracted national attention because of the circumstances surrounding the police response.Early 2026 – Investigation and prosecution
- Prosecutors alleged that Digwa had fabricated claims of racial abuse to portray himself as the victim.
- Investigators also accused Digwa’s mother, Kiran Kaur, of helping remove the weapon from the scene after the attack.
May 28, 2026 – Guilty verdict
- A jury at Southampton Crown Court found Digwa guilty of murder and of carrying a bladed weapon in public.
- His mother Kaur was found guilty of assisting an offender.
- During the trial, the judge rejected Digwa’s claim that Nowak had made racist remarks.
- Hampshire Police publicly apologized for handcuffing Nowak after the stabbing.
June 1, 2026 – Sentencing
- Digwa was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of about 20–21 years before parole eligibility.
- The judge described Nowak as “principled and full of promise” and said he was unarmed and defenseless during the attack.
