Mother of Vickrum Digwa jailed for three years after she took knife from scene of Henry Nowak’s murder and hid it

The mother of Henry Nowak’s killer has been convicted and jailed for helping cover up what happened.

Kiran Kaur recovered the dagger from the scene that stabbed defenseless student Mr Nowak to death after his son Vickrum Digwa launched an unprovoked attack.

Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life imprisonment last month for the murder of 18-year-old Mr Nowak, who died in police handcuffs after a chance encounter with his attacker on a night out in December last year.

He was sentenced to three years in prison as he appeared at Southampton Crown Court today for sentencing after hearing he played a ‘significant role’ in what happened.

Sentencing Kaur, Judge William Mousley KC said: ‘A responsible parent would challenge their son’s actions and encourage them to do the right thing.

‘Instead you took the knife home and placed it in your son’s bedroom, along with a larger collection of ceremonial weapons and other weapons.

‘This would help hide what it was used for.’

Kaur and her son were convicted after a trial in May for what happened to Mr Nowak and their contrasting roles in subsequent attempts to free Digwa from the crime.

The court heard Mr Nowak was heading home after a night of chance encounters with Digwa.

A brief argument ensued, and Digwa unsheathed his dagger, which he carried in accordance with the Sikh faith, and plunged it 8 cm (3.5 in) into the victim’s chest.

Digwa also stabbed Mr Nowak twice in the leg and once in the stomach; The victim also had a cut mark on his face.

Along with his brother Gurpreet, who arrived at the scene shortly after the attack, Digwa filmed his victim trying to escape from the attacker.

When the police arrived a short time later, Digwa lied; He claimed that the attacker was Henry, who punched and kicked Digwa, dropped his turban and made a racist remark.

Hampshire Police officers then handcuffed the mortally wounded Henry, despite his desperate pleas, captured on police body camera, that he couldn’t breathe and that he had been stabbed.

An officer replied: ‘I don’t think you know, mate.’

Vickrum Digwa killed Mr Nowak and then shamelessly tried to blame the unarmed student for what had happened.

He and a second officer are currently under investigation for potential gross misconduct.

Digwa’s mother Kaur and father Moga Singh had reached the scene by now and Digwa secretly told his mother to take the dagger home. Henri died at the scene.

Digwa was later recorded secretly talking to his elder brother Gurpreet Digwa in Punjab; Meanwhile, the attacker agreed to pretend he had acted in self-defense, even though he had previously admitted to his brother that he had stabbed Henry.

He also told Gurpreet that if there had been any cameras at the scene, he would not have been able to defend himself.

Digwa was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years in June this year before being deemed eligible for parole.

Judge William Mousley KC told the defendant, who showed no emotion: ‘As well as killing Henry and causing irreparable harm to those close to him, you have caused real suffering to others who knew him.

‘You have brought shame to your family, your community and your religion.

‘Your actions have increased racial tensions in Southampton and across the country, causing many Sikhs to fear for their safety despite having done absolutely nothing wrong.’

Mr Nowak, 18, was unarmed and had almost no traces of alcohol in his system when he was attacked by armed bandit Digwa in December last year.

He described Mr Nowak, the first in his family to go to university, as ‘a well-liked, kind, hard-working and ambitious young man, devoted to his family and with a bright future’.

Then-Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had previously said he felt ‘sickened’ while watching footage of police handcuffing Henry as he lay on his deathbed, and that there were ‘serious questions’ that needed to be answered about the case.

The images also sparked huge protests in the streets.

Earlier this month, Digwa, his elder brother Gurpreet and their father Singh were arraigned in court on gun-related offences.

Digwa denied possessing weapons, including two knives, an extendable baton, an eight-joint duster, three machetes, a traditional Japanese weapon, three ninja swords and 37 other swords.

Gurpreet, 27, and Singh, 52, are also accused of possessing illegal weapons at their home in Southampton.

The alleged shootings took place on December 4, 2025, at the family’s home on St Denys Road in Hampshire.

They have denied all charges and will appear in court in September next year.