Henry Nowak killer's sentence challenged at Court of Appeal

The Court of Appeal heard on 5 November 2026 two challenges to the sentence given to Vickrum Digwa, 23, for the murder of Henry Nowak in Southampton. The Attorney General, Ellie Reeves, has referred the sentence to the court as unduly lenient, meaning she considers it too light and asks the court to review it. Digwa is also appealing, arguing that his sentence was manifestly excessive, or too harsh.

Henry, who was 18, died on 3 December 2025 after being killed by Digwa in Southampton. Digwa was jailed in June for life with a minimum term of 21 years, which means he must serve at least that long before he can be considered for release. Judge William Mousley KC sentenced him at Southampton Crown Court on 1 June.

According to the case details reported by the Guardian, when police arrived at the scene Digwa falsely claimed that Henry had racially abused him and knocked his turban off. Officers arrested and handcuffed Henry before they saw his fatal injuries. The killing led to riots in Southampton.

On the night of the murder, Digwa carried a small concealed knife called a kirpan, along with a large dagger in a sheath, both linked to his membership of the Nihang order of Sikhs. Jonathan Polnay KC, who made written submissions for the Attorney General at the hearing, told the court that Digwa abused the privilege and statutory religious exemption that allows Sikhs to carry a knife in public.

Polnay also cited as aggravating factors, meaning features that make an offence more serious, Digwa's sustained attempts to pervert the course of justice and his procurement of his mother's help in concealing evidence. He further cited Digwa's degradation of the dying victim by filming him and his conduct in misleading responders. Digwa's mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, was jailed for three years for assisting an offender after she took the knife from the scene to the family home.

Digwa, who is represented by Imran Khan KC, watched the proceedings from HMP Frankland, a prison in County Durham. The sentencing remarks in the case, which name him as Vickrum Singh Digwa, record Mr Nowak saying that Henry's death had left the family effectively given a life sentence.