Vickrum Digwa Jailed For Life For Stabbing Henry Nowak In Southampton With Kirpan

A 23-year-old “weapon-obsessed” man, Vickrum Digwa, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering 18-year-old Polish-British student Henry Nowak in Southampton after stabbing him five times with a kirpan on December 3, 2025.

“A weapons-obsessed killer who stabbed a student to death has been jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years”

BBC

Judge William Mousley of Southampton Crown Court ruled on Monday that Digwa would serve at least 21 years before being eligible for parole, and the BBC said the court heard Digwa used a 21 cm (8 in) blade he carried as part of his Sikh faith.

BBC

The attack took place in Southampton as Nowak was walking home after a night out with friends in his football team, and the BBC reported Nowak was handcuffed by police as he lay dying at the scene after Digwa lied, claiming he was racially abused and acted in self-defense.

The BBC said the judge dismissed the racism claims made by Digwa and described Digwa’s actions as stirring up racial tension in Southampton and across the country, while TVP World reported Mousley told Digwa, “You have brought shame on your family, your community and your religion.”

After the sentencing, Nowak’s sister Olivia said outside court, “My life will never be the same without my best friend,” as the case drew global attention over the police response and the circumstances of the stabbing.

The BBC reported that when police arrived at the scene, Digwa lied about being racially abused, prompting officers to handcuff Nowak as he lay dying, and it said the victim’s father Mark Nowak called the handling “inhumane and degrading.”

Mark Nowak told the court he was “tormented” by thoughts of his son’s death, and the BBC quoted him saying, “Henry should not have died on the streets of Southampton in police custody.”

Boulevard Voltaire

The BBC also reported that Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), while the Guardian said the police watchdog is investigating the incident.

Outside court, the BBC said Sir Keir Starmer commented on X that “It is right that the IOPC is investigating the police's response,” and it added that the case must end “the cycle of tragedy by tackling the horror of knife crime.”

In the courtroom, the Guardian reported Judge Mousley told Digwa, “You have brought shame on your family, your community and your religion,” and it said the judge described Nowak as principled and full of promise while Digwa was alone and unarmed.

The sentencing means Digwa will serve at least 21 years before parole eligibility, and the BBC said the judge described Digwa’s actions as a “lifetime of loss upon his family” after he murdered Henry Nowak with a 21 cm (8 in) blade.

“The leader of Southampton council has stressed the authority’s commitment to making the city a safer place after a man was found guilty of murdering a university student”

Daily Echo

The BBC reported that Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones described the incident as a “national tragedy” and said any findings made in the IOPC would be “implemented without delay,” tying the next steps directly to the police investigation.

The Guardian said the case received global attention after being criticised by the owner of X, Elon Musk, and it reported that Mousley said “I am sure Henry said nothing racist.”

In addition to the prison sentence, the BBC reported that Digwa’s mother was found guilty of assisting an offender, and it said the knife was later found by police at the family home along with more than 20 other weapons.

As the investigation proceeds, the BBC said the family called for a “full, fearless and transparent” investigation into the police handling, while TVP World reported Digwa’s mother was found guilty of assisting an offender and would be sentenced on July 17.