On May 28, 2026, a jury at Southampton Crown Court found 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa guilty of the murder of 18-year-old university student Henry Nowak.

 

Henry Nowak lay dying in a Southampton street with his wrists cuffed after police believed the false claims of his attacker, Vickrum Digwa, who said the 18-year-old had racially abused him.

On May 28, 2026, a jury at Southampton Crown Court found 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa guilty of the murder of 18-year-old university student Henry Nowak.

 

The Case and Verdict

The fatal incident occurred on December 3, 2025, when Henry Nowak, a first-year finance student, was walking back to his student accommodation after a night out. He was attacked by Digwa, who stabbed him five times using an 8-inch (21cm) kirpan, a ceremonial blade Digwa claimed to carry as part of his Sikh faith.

During the trial, the prosecution successfully demonstrated that Digwa's defense was a "wicked lie". Digwa had falsely claimed to police that Nowak was drunk, had launched a racially motivated assault, punched him, and knocked off his turban, forcing him to act in self-defense. However, forensic evidence showed Nowak's alcohol levels were well below the legal driving limit, and video footage recovered from Nowak's own phone—which Digwa had taken and placed in his pocket—completely debunked the allegations of racial abuse.

Police Response and Investigation

When officers arrived at the scene in Southampton, they believed the initial false claims made by Digwa and his brother during the emergency 999 call. As a result, police handcuffed and arrested the fatally wounded teenager while he was losing consciousness, rather than recognizing him as the victim. Nowak collapsed and died at the scene shortly afterward.

• Official Apology: Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Robert France of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary issued an apology to Nowak's family. He stated that officers faced an "extremely complex" scene and were deeply misled by the killer's deception.
• Watchdog Probe: The force has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which is actively investigating the officers' actions and the decision to handcuff the dying student.
• Co-Defendant: Digwa's mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, was also found guilty of assisting an offender for her role in attempting to hide the murder weapon