Vickrum Digwa murdered Henry Nowak using a large religious dagger, known as a kirpan, on 3 December 2025. Although Digwa lawfully owned the weapon, the Court of Appeal ruled that this circumstance did not lessen the sheer gravity of his lethal actions. Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr highlighted that the initial sentence failed to reflect repeated knife strikes aimed to kill alongside Digwa's subsequent deceptive cruelty. Taking into account time already served on remand, Digwa must now complete at least 24 years and 190 days in prison before any potential release.
Key points
The lawful possession of a religious kirpan does not diminish the legal severity of using…: The lawful possession of a religious kirpan does not diminish the legal severity of using it as a lethal weapon.
Digwa must serve a minimum of 24 years and 190 days behind bars before becoming eligible…: Digwa must serve a minimum of 24 years and 190 days behind bars before becoming eligible to apply for parole.
A separate hearing will be held to determine whether Digwa will be granted permission to…: A separate hearing will be held to determine whether Digwa will be granted permission to appeal his murder conviction.
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Henry Nowak killer has sentence increased to 25 years
- Published
The murderer of Henry Nowak has had his minimum prison term increased to 25 years.
Vickrum Digwa stabbed the 18-year-old student with a large dagger in Belmont Road, Southampton, on 3 December 2025.
His 21-year sentence was reviewed at the Court of Appeal, following a referral from the Attorney General, where judges agreed it was "unduly lenient" and refused him permission to appeal against it.
The Lady Chief Justice said the original term "did not adequately reflect the overall seriousness of the murder".
Digwa, then 22, told police Henry had attacked and racially abused him, which led to Henry being handcuffed as he lay dying.
The trial judge later found Digwa's accusations of racism to be a lie. He was jailed for life at Southampton Crown Court in June.
Attorney General Ellie Reeves, who was Solicitor General at the time, referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal, while Digwa sought permission to challenge it as "manifestly excessive".
Both were heard on Thursday by Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr,…
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