VICKRUM DIGWA ALLOWED TO APPEAL SENTENCE FOR NOWAK MURDER

Vickrum Digwa, who murdered Southampton student Henry Nowak, has been given permission to appeal against his sentence. Digwa stabbed Nowak to death in December 2025 and was jailed for life in June, with a minimum term of 21 years. The Court of Appeal will hear his challenge on 5 November. Judges will consider a referral from the Attorney General's office, which argued the sentence was too lenient. Digwa has separately applied to appeal against his murder conviction, to be decided separately.

Nowak, from Chafford Hundred in Essex, was stabbed with a 21cm knife Digwa had been carrying in public. Digwa was convicted of possessing the knife, having told the court he carried it for his Sikh faith. He also falsely told police he had been the victim of a racist attack. Body-worn footage released later showed officers not giving Nowak first aid as he lay dying, instead handcuffing him after he said he could not breathe. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating two officers over potential gross misconduct. Sikh leaders have reported a backlash and a rise in hate crime since the case became public.

The footage's release led to protests in Southampton on 2 June, with demonstrators gathering outside a police station before moving towards Digwa's family home and the murder scene. Twelve police officers and a police dog were injured, police said. More than 30 people have been charged with violent disorder over the demonstrations. Former Solicitor General Ellie Reeves KC referred Digwa's sentence to the Court of Appeal on 15 June under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. The 5 November hearing will decide both matters; his challenge to the murder conviction will be heard separately.