Sikh murder suspect accused of stabbing student Henry Nowak after racist abuse and turban removal

A 23-year-old man is on trial for murder, accused of fatally stabbing an 18-year-old university student with a ceremonial kirpan – a religious dagger that, in this case, was 21 centimetres long.

Vickrum Digwa appeared at Southampton Crown Court on Monday charged with the murder of Henry Nowak, a first-year Accountancy and Finance student at the University of Southampton. The prosecution alleges that Digwa inflicted five stab wounds on Mr Nowak, including two to the back of his legs and a single, fatal wound to the chest. The blade, a kirpan carried by Digwa as a symbol of his Sikh faith, was later recovered from the family home, where his mother, Kiran Kaur, is accused of taking it after the incident. Kaur, 53, denies assisting an offender.

The Prosecution’s Case

The court heard that on the night of 3 December 2025, Henry Nowak was walking home along Belmont Road in the Portswood area of Southampton after celebrating the end of his first semester with his university football team. He had been drinking but was below the legal drink-drive limit, and was sending Snapchat videos to friends as he walked.

Prosecutors say that a confrontation between the two men escalated rapidly. Phone footage captured an exchange in which Mr Nowak is heard saying to Digwa, “You’re a bad man, say you’re a bad man,” and Digwa replied, “I am a bad man.” The prosecution claims that after stabbing Mr Nowak, Digwa aggressively pursued him. Neighbours reported hearing Mr Nowak say he had been stabbed and was dying. He attempted to escape by climbing over a bin and a fence, leaving a trail of blood, before collapsing.

When police arrived, they handcuffed the dying teenager. Mr Nowak repeatedly stated that he had been stabbed and “couldn’t breathe”. The handcuffs were removed only after he lost consciousness, at which point resuscitation attempts began and an ambulance was called. The police response has been heavily criticised, with figures including Elon Musk and Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick commenting on the treatment of Mr Nowak. Hampshire Police’s initial statement about the incident was reportedly removed from their website.

The Defendant’s Account

Digwa told the court that he was walking near his home when he stepped onto the road and saw Mr Nowak walking towards him. He described the student as looking “drunk”, not walking in a straight line and “stumbling a little”. Mr Nowak said to him, “You could have moved up a little bit more.” Digwa replied, “You’re right, I could have moved up, carry on with your day,” and added, “You’re drunk, I am just trying to get to my car, you’re right, sorry.”

According to Digwa, the situation then changed. Mr Nowak allegedly said, “You P***s think you lot can do what you want,” and went on to say, “You think you are a bad man,” and “I am from Essex, you do not know what people from Essex are on.” Digwa said he felt threatened by Mr Nowak, who then pulled out his phone to record the exchange. “I was thinking in my mind he’s recording me and this has just escalated,” Digwa told the court. He said that during the preceding months there had been a lot of attacks on Sikhs, many of which had been videoed by the attackers.

Digwa said he reached to block the phone and grabbed it, at which point Mr Nowak punched him because he wanted his phone back. The defendant claimed that Mr Nowak then punched off his turban and grabbed him by the hair, pulling him so that he bent over. “He started saying ‘I am going to f*** you up, I am going to kill you’,” Digwa said. “I felt like that he was going to use my kirpan on me.”

It was at this point, Digwa said, that he pulled his kirpan from its sheath and stabbed Mr Nowak to the back of his legs. He told the court he was not aware that Mr Nowak had been stabbed in the chest. With his hair in front of his eyes, he said, he “stabbed out twice” with the blade. His brother then arrived, leading to emergency services being called.

Digwa explained that he had asked his mother, who along with his father had arrived at the scene, to hold the kirpan while he picked up his religious items that had fallen to the ground during the struggle. “I felt abused, scared, it made me feel a bit better that I had my family there,” he said. “My mind was fuzzy, everything went on so quickly, I couldn’t comprehend everything that was going on.”

The defendant said he only became aware that Mr Nowak had been stabbed in the chest during his first police interview. He learned of Mr Nowak’s death while at the police station. “I cried, I was scared. I didn’t mean to do it and I am sorry it happened,” he said. When asked why he had not told police immediately that he had stabbed Mr Nowak, he replied: “I was scared, this is the first time anything like this had ever happened.”

Digwa’s defence has highlighted the religious and legal context of the kirpan. The ceremonial dagger is one of the Five Ks mandated for initiated Sikhs, symbolising courage and the duty to protect the innocent. Its wearing for religious reasons is permitted in the UK under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and the Offensive Weapons Act 2019. The root words “kirpa” (mercy) and “aan” (grace) underline its non-offensive religious purpose. Digwa was carrying the kirpan around his neck under his clothing, in addition to a larger “shastar”.

The defence has also pointed to a reported increase in anti-Sikh hate crimes. Official figures show a 169% rise in reported crimes against Sikhs in 2021-22 compared with the previous year, far exceeding the 38% increase in religious hate crimes overall. The Sikh Council UK has raised concerns with the Metropolitan Police, and the Indian Workers Association (Great Britain) has warned of a sharp increase in attacks following violent, racially motivated incidents in the West Midlands in late 2025.

Henry Nowak’s family described him as a “kind, intelligent, and talented son” who was an “all-round top lad” and “made friends wherever he went”. He was a member of two university football teams and worked part-time at a local Morrisons. A charity football match was held in his honour, raising money for 2Wish, a charity that supports families of young people who die suddenly.

Vickrum Digwa denies murder and carrying a knife in public. His mother, Kiran Kaur, denies assisting an offender. The trial continues.