Vickrum Digwa, the man convicted of murdering teenager Henry Nowak, is seeking to appeal both his conviction and life sentence, the Court of Appeal has confirmed. A date for the hearing has not yet been set.
Digwa, 23, was sentenced last month to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years for stabbing 18-year-old Henry Nowak to death in Southampton on December 3, 2025. Solicitor General Ellie Reeves referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, branding it ‘unduly lenient’ and saying the case had ‘horrified’ her.
The attack and its aftermath
Henry Nowak was walking home from a night out when he encountered Digwa. Digwa stabbed him five times with a 21 cm dagger, which he claimed he carried for Sikh religious reasons. In British law, Sikhs are permitted to carry a small kirpan, but prosecutors argued the blade used in the murder was not a religious necessity but was carried as a weapon.
After the stabbing, Digwa and his brother falsely told responding police officers that Nowak had assaulted them and had not been stabbed. This deception led to Nowak being arrested and handcuffed by officers while he lay dying, moments before he lost consciousness. Body-worn camera footage captured Nowak pleading that he could not breathe, with his cries going unanswered.
Henry Nowak’s father, Mark, contrasted the ‘decency’ officers showed Digwa with the ‘inhumane and degrading’ treatment of his son. In a statement read outside court after sentencing, he said: ‘Henry was pulled across the gravel, his hands forced behind his back, and he was placed in handcuffs. Instead of being treated as a dying victim, police formally arrested Henry for assault and read him his rights. That was the last thing he heard.’
Mark Nowak added that while legal justice had been served, it was not enough, and called for knife crime to be treated as a national emergency. He also emphasised that his family did not want Henry’s death to be used to create division.
Police misconduct investigation
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed on Wednesday, July 1, that it is investigating two officers from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary for potential gross misconduct. The investigation focuses on potential failures to recognise that Nowak needed urgent medical attention, to take action when he said he had been stabbed and could not breathe, and the decision to arrest and handcuff him instead of providing first aid.
One of the officers also faces an investigation for potentially breaching conduct standards by dismissing the teenager’s claim that he had been stabbed. The IOPC is also examining whether race or religion played a part in the officers’ decision-making.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the case had raised ‘serious questions’ and condemned any attempts to exploit the tragedy for political gain. He met with the Nowak family and said he was ‘profoundly humbled’ by their dignity. He also condemned as ‘disgraceful’ attacks on police officers during protests that followed the case.
A jury inquest into Henry Nowak’s death is scheduled to open at Winchester Coroner’s Court on September 20, 2027.
Prison concerns and background
Digwa has been transferred to HMP Frankland, a Category A prison in County Durham. Reports indicate he is being held in segregation due to fears for his safety, refusing to be moved to a wing where Ian Huntley, the child killer, was fatally attacked earlier this year. He is said to be spending up to 23 hours a day alone in his cell.
Ian Huntley, 52, died after being attacked with a metal bar at HMP Frankland in February 2026. A source said: ‘He was told he was going on to A-wing, and he knew it was where Huntley was killed — and said, “No”.’
Digwa’s mother, Kiran Kaur, was convicted of assisting an offender for removing and concealing the murder weapon. Digwa had previously been investigated by police in 2023 on suspicion of stealing ceremonial blades from a Sikh temple in Southampton, but no further action was taken. Judge William Mousley KC noted at sentencing that Digwa had a ‘weapon obsession’ and a substantial collection of blades, and that aggravating factors included his false account to police and the fact that Nowak died alone, humiliated, and handcuffed.
Elders at a Southampton Gurdwara had previously expressed concern about Digwa’s habit of carrying swords in public while dressed in Nihang Sikh attire. The Bishop of Southampton visited the Sikh community, stressing that the incident should not reflect badly on the community as a whole.
The case was seized upon by far-right activists and politicians, who claimed it demonstrated anti-white bias in the justice system. This led to protests and violence in Southampton, with officers being attacked. Prime Minister Starmer condemned those attacks as ‘disgraceful’ and called for unity.
