Vickrum Digwa, the 23-year-old convicted of murdering 18-year-old finance student Henry Nowak, has lodged an application with the Court of Appeal to have his conviction quashed or his sentence reduced. Digwa was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years at Southampton Crown Court last month for the December killing of the University of Southampton student, who was a stranger to him.
Appeal lodged against conviction and sentence
The Court of Appeal confirmed that Digwa has applied for leave to appeal both his conviction and his sentence. A single judge will first decide whether to grant permission for a full hearing before three judges in the Criminal Division. The move comes despite the Solicitor General, Ellie Reeves KC, referring the original 21-year minimum term to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, noting the case was potentially unduly lenient.
Claims of racism rejected by trial judge
During the trial, Digwa claimed that Henry Nowak had shouted racist abuse, punched him, and knocked off his turban. Judge William Mousley dismissed these allegations as lies, stating: “I am sure that Henry said nothing racist. You are the only person to make that claim and it is completely at odds with his previous character.” The judge rejected any suggestion of racism by the victim.
Police response and public outrage
Henry Nowak was stabbed by Digwa, who carried a Sikh ceremonial knife with a 21cm blade. After the attack, Nowak was arrested by police as he lay covered in his own blood and died alone and handcuffed in police custody. Widespread public outrage followed the release of harrowing bodycam footage showing the dying student repeatedly telling officers “I can’t breathe”. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he “felt sick” watching the footage and stated there were “serious questions” to answer.
Digwa's brother and police investigation
Further controversy surrounds Digwa’s brother, Gurpreet, who called 999 claiming they had been “racially attacked by some white person”. He watched as police handcuffed the dying Henry. Hampshire Police decided not to refer Gurpreet to the Crown Prosecution Service for charges, but an online petition has since called for his reinvestigation. Additionally, Digwa had been investigated by police in 2023 over the suspected theft of ceremonial blades from a Southampton temple, but no further action was taken.
Solicitor General's referral
Ellie Reeves KC described the case as “horrifying” and said the British public shared that view. In her referral of the sentence, she stated: “It is right that difficult questions need to be answered about the way the police handled Henry Nowak’s murder… No sentence can ever undo the devastation that Henry’s family have suffered, or fill the void left by his loss. But I hope this referral goes some way towards bringing them the justice they deserve.” The Court of Appeal’s decision on whether to allow Digwa’s appeal is awaited.
