Vickrum Digwa Guilty Of Southampton Student Murder

Guilty Verdict in Southampton Murder Trial: Police Apologise for Handcuffing Dying Student

A man who fatally stabbed a university student with a ceremonial knife has been convicted of murder following a trial at Southampton Crown Court. Vickrum Digwa, 23, was found guilty of murdering 18-year-old Henry Nowak during a street confrontation on 3 December 2025.

The jury rejected Digwa's defence that he acted in self-defence after the victim allegedly used a racist insult, grabbed him by the hair, punched him, and knocked his turban off. Digwa had claimed in court that he stabbed Mr. Nowak in the back of the legs to defend himself and had not realised at the time that he had inflicted the fatal chest wound. Digwa was additionally found guilty of carrying a bladed weapon in a public place.

His mother, 53-year-old Kiran Kaur, was convicted of assisting an offender for her role in removing the murder weapon from the scene. Digwa is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday at Southampton Crown Court, while Kaur will face sentencing on 17 July.

Upon the reading of the verdicts, Kaur appeared visibly upset in the dock, whereas Digwa displayed little emotion and gazed out into the courtroom. The victim's family let out a sigh and embraced as they left the room amid audible sobbing from the public gallery.

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The guilty verdicts represent the culmination of a complex trial in which the Crown systematically dismantled the defendant's narrative of self-defence. Nicholas Lobbenberg KC, prosecuting, successfully argued that the fatal altercation was not driven by religious practice or racial hostility, firmly telling the jury during his closing speech: "This is not a case about Sikhism. This is not a case about racism. This is a case about murder."

The prosecution emphasized that on the night of the attack, Digwa was not attending a temple or fulfilling a religious duty, but had simply been out assisting his brother with Deliveroo deliveries while armed with the oversized 21cm shastar. The court was reminded that the defendant was not a novice with the blade; he was highly skilled in its application, having actively trained with weapons since he was 12 years old.

Furthermore, the Crown exposed critical inconsistencies in Digwa’s timeline of events. Mr Lobbenberg pointed out that the defendant's pivotal claim—that the teenager had threatened to kill him—was completely absent from his formal defence case statement. The jury heard that this central allegation was fabricated after the fact and introduced for the very first time only when Digwa took the witness box.

The prosecution also highlighted the deafening silence from his mother, Kiran Kaur, during the proceedings. The 53-year-old elected not to give evidence in her own defence, a decision the Crown suggested was made because she could offer no credible explanation for removing the weapon from the scene that would not inevitably incriminate both herself and her son.

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The Night of the Incident

• Henry Nowak, a first-year accountancy and finance student at the University of Southampton originally from Chafford Hundred in Essex, was walking back to his accommodation following a night out with football teammates.
• Toxicology reports and court testimony indicated that his alcohol consumption was below the legal drink-drive limit.
• The fatal altercation occurred in Belmont Road at approximately 23:30 GMT.
• Prior to the attack, mobile phone footage recorded by the victim, which was later found in Digwa's pocket, captured Mr. Nowak saying, "Hello car," and singing to himself before yawning.
• The footage then showed Digwa walking away before Mr. Nowak stated: "Innit bad man, what bad man. You're a bad man, say you're a bad man, go on."
• Digwa can be heard replying on the recording: "I am a bad man."
• The prosecution detailed that Digwa was wearing an 8-inch (21cm) "shastar"—the Punjabi word for weapon or knife—openly displayed in a sheath over his clothing, in addition to a smaller ceremonial kirpan worn under his garments around his neck.
• During the ensuing attack, a post-mortem examination found that Mr. Nowak sustained four stab wounds and a cut to his jaw, including a fatal strike to the chest piercing the heart, two wounds to the back of his legs, and another facial injury.
• Neighbours reported hearing the teenager state he had been stabbed and was dying as he attempted to escape by climbing a fence, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

Police Response and IOPC Referral

The immediate aftermath of the stabbing was heavily complicated by what prosecutors termed a "wicked lie" told to emergency responders.

• Digwa’s brother, Gurpreet Digwa, initiated a 999 call, repeatedly telling operators that his sibling had been "attacked racially".
• He informed police that they were restraining Mr. Nowak, stating, "I can't let him go until this gets sorted," and falsely claimed to the operators that no weapons were involved.
• Digwa himself also lied to the police upon their arrival, claiming he was the victim of a racist attack and deliberately failing to disclose that he had stabbed the teenager.
• Relying on these false statements, arriving officers initially handcuffed and arrested the heavily bleeding victim.
• Officers only commenced first aid a short time later when Mr. Nowak collapsed and lost consciousness; he subsequently died at the scene from his injuries.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has officially referred its handling of the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

"This was an extremely complex investigation and actually the scene itself was extremely complex when officers arrived," stated Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Robert France. "They were lied to in the 999 call by Henry's killer, they were lied to as they arrived at the scene and we know that as a result they didn't understand what had happened for several minutes and that is an absolute tragedy."

Mr. France issued a formal apology on behalf of the force, stating: "I'm sorry that he had been handcuffed and arrested as he lost consciousness. I don't want to hide the facts. I want people to understand the full facts." He further added, "I want to say that I am sorry that Henry couldn't be saved that night."

The police actions drew sharp criticism from Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp, who described the officers' conduct as "shameful". He stated that police appeared more interested in handcuffing an individual accused of making a racist comment than in saving a dying man, urging the force to end its "fixation on race and alleged racism in the way it approaches policing".

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The Murder Weapon and Subsequent Actions

Following the fatal stabbing, Digwa handed the 21cm blade to his mother, who had arrived at the scene alongside his father.

• Digwa claimed in court that he merely asked her to hold the kirpan while he retrieved religious items that had fallen to the ground during the struggle.
• However, the prosecution successfully proved that Kaur transported the weapon back to the family home.
• Police later recovered the murder weapon from the property, where it was discovered alongside more than 20 other Sikh weapons.
• Prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg KC characterised Digwa as "a man who likes weapons" who slept in a bedroom with an "arsenal" and had previously described the murder weapon in "loving terms".

Sikh Community Statement and Legal Context

Under Section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, individuals have a statutory defence to carry a bladed article in a public place if they can prove it is for religious reasons. However, specific restrictions apply; blades measuring less than 19 inches (50cm) are not covered by these exemptions under the Offensive Weapons Act 2019. Furthermore, if a religious item is used aggressively in an act of violence, the legal defence is immediately voided and the item is classified as an offensive weapon.

The Sikh Federation UK issued a public statement following the verdicts, emphasizing that Digwa's actions were a "moment of madness by an individual for which there can be no excuses".

• The Federation clarified that the large blade used in the attack "was not the normal Kirpan worn by fully practising Sikhs".
• They stressed that under Sikh practice, unsheathing a kirpan for aggressive reasons strictly violates the religious code of conduct.
• The organisation highlighted that the wider Sikh community had faced "considerable abuse and hate" during the trial due to misunderstandings of the law, warning that fully practising Sikhs who wear the Kirpan must recognise the serious responsibility and limited legal protections that exist for wearing it.

Tributes to the Victim

Henry Nowak's family paid a heartfelt tribute to their "kind, intelligent and talented son," noting that he was loved by all who knew him. They expressed that their hearts ache for the bright future, opportunities, and adventures he was denied, stating: "Our world will never be the same without our amazing Henry."

Professor Jane Falkingham, Vice-President of Engagement and International at the University of Southampton, also honoured the student's memory. She noted that Henry had fully embraced university life, making the most of every opportunity in a new city and forming numerous friendships during his tragically short time at the institution.