Vickrum Digwa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years after being convicted of the Southampton student murder of Henry Nowak, 18, who was stabbed to death on Belmont Road in December 2025
A man who fatally stabbed a university student with a Sikh kirpan knife after declaring “I am a bad man” has been handed a life sentence.
Vickrum Digwa, 23, carried out a vicious assault on 18-year-old Henry Nowak from Chafford Hundred, Essex, before fabricating a “wicked lie” and alleging he had been targeted in a racist attack.
Henry sustained two stab wounds to the rear of his legs before receiving a fatal blow to his heart on Belmont Road, Southampton, on December 3, 2025.
Footage captured by his victim shows Digwa declaring “I am a bad man” mere moments before the killing. He subsequently testified in court that Henry, whom he characterised as intoxicated, had directed racial slurs at him before striking him and dislodging his turban.
Digwa was convicted of murder at Southampton Crown Court on Thursday. He also faced charges of possessing a bladed article in public, while his mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, was found guilty of assisting an offender by removing the weapon from the scene. Today, Digwa received a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years, reports the Mirror.
Digwa maintained he had stabbed Henry in self-defence after being threatened and grabbed by the hair, but insisted he hadn’t realised at the time that he had inflicted the fatal chest wound. He also “lied” to officers by denying he had stabbed Henry despite the student’s desperate appeals for assistance as he informed police of his injuries.
This resulted in officers placing Henry in handcuffs as he lay dying, even as they attempted to administer first aid. Tech billionaire Elon Musk posted on X an offer to fund a private prosecution against the police, while the Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Mark Nowak, Henry Nowak’s father, broke down in tears as he read his victim impact statement at today’s sentencing hearing, detailing the family’s anguish over losing his “beautiful son”.
He said: “As a father, it is my job to protect my child and I failed to keep him safe, I was not there when he needed me most, the thought of him lying in the road, scared, bleeding to death will haunt me forever.
“I have been traumatised by not knowing exactly what happened that night. A parent losing a child is the worst thing in the world but not knowing how it happened is like a fate worse than hell.”
Olivia, Henry Nowak’s sister, addressed the accused directly, telling him: “If you had known him, you would never have hurt him.” She also shared with the court: “My brother was my first best friend, an unbreakable bond, we lived our life to the fullest together.”
Prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg KC had earlier informed the court that the accused, who had undergone weapons training from the age of 12, spoke of the murder weapon in “loving terms” and that he “sleeps in a bedroom with an arsenal of weapons”. He further stated that while Sikhs are legally allowed to carry a kirpan knife, discreetly concealing a small blade beneath garments would adequately fulfil religious obligations.
He noted the accused “chose” to carry two knives, one hidden under his clothes while the larger blade used in the fatal attack was openly visible. He continued: “This is a man who likes weapons. He thinks a knife is a suitable wedding present for his brother.”
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