Vickrum Digwa Sentenced to Life for Henry Nowak Murder

Vickrum Digwa, a 23-year-old man with an obsession with weapons, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old university student from Essex. The attack occurred on December 3, 2025, as Nowak walked home after a night out with his football team in Southampton.

The prosecution argued that Digwa falsely claimed racial abuse to police, leading them to handcuff the mortally wounded victim instead of arresting him. According to Nicholas Lobbenberg KC, the prosecutor, this claim was 'a wicked lie about a dying man.' The court heard that Digwa carried an eight-inch ceremonial Sikh blade and stabbed Nowak six times.

The prosecution described Digwa as having a fixation on weapons, noting he trained with them since childhood. According to Jeremy Wainwright KC, Digwa's defense attorney, the defendant claimed religious reasons for carrying the knife, though Lobbenberg dismissed this justification during his closing speech.

The court also heard that Digwa's mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, removed the murder weapon from the scene and was found guilty of assisting an offender. Hampshire Police apologized for their response to the incident but stated that internal investigations were ongoing.

Newly released bodycam footage showed Nowak desperately telling officers four times, 'I've been stabbed', to which one policeman replied: 'I don't think you have mate'. Mr Nowak's father Mark accused officers of affording the killer 'decency' while the way they treated his son was 'inhumane and degrading.'

The Daily Mail revealed that members of the Sikh community in Southampton reported Digwa to police for stealing ceremonial Shastar blades worth £1,000 in July 2023. However, no arrests were made at the time. A source at the gurdwara told the Daily Mail that Digwa was dismissed as a Gatka teacher in August 2023 due to his aggressive behavior and lies.

The case has caused international outrage, with tech billionaire Elon Musk offering to fund a private prosecution against the police and MPs describing it as a 'shocking example of two-tier policing'. There have been calls for a ban on Sikhs being allowed to carry ceremonial knives. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is also assessing how the officers acted that night.

The family of Digwa apologized to the Nowak family and the Sikh community, expressing their grief and sorrow. Hampshire Police condemned calls for mob or vigilante justice against its officers, emphasizing the need for due process in the ongoing investigations.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Southampton police station after footage of Henry Nowak's arrest sparked widespread backlash. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the bodycam footage made him 'feel sick'. The footage showed Nowak desperately telling officers four times, 'I've been stabbed', to which one policeman replied: 'I don't think you have mate'. Demonstrators arrived in large numbers, with pictures and clips shared online showing crowds carrying Union Jacks descending upon the station just before 6pm. Some held banners reading 'Save our kids', while others paraded pictures of Mr Nowak with the caption: 'I can't breathe'.

An officer at Hampshire Police involved in the murder case had resigned from his post, the force confirmed. Three of the officers are still serving while all four are being treated as witnesses in an investigation being carried out by a police watchdog.

Digwa is now facing additional charges of owning six offensive weapons at his Southampton home, while his brother Gurpreet Digwa, 27, and his father Moga Singh, 52, have also been charged with owning illegal weapons at the family home. They appeared at Southampton Magistrates' Court on Tuesday and were released on unconditional bail.

Vickrum's mother, Kiran Kaur, awaits sentencing for assisting an offender by taking the knife used to kill the 18-year-old in Southampton back to the nearby family home. The 53-year-old will be sentenced on July 17.