Southampton man jailed for life for murder of student with ‘religious’ knife | Crime

The man with a “weapon obsession” who killed a university student with a 21 cm long knife that he claimed to carry for religious reasons was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Vickrum Digwa, 23, who stabbed 18-year-old Henry Nowak five times, will spend at least 20 years in prison before being eligible for parole.

When police arrived at the scene of the murder in Southampton, Digwa falsely claimed that Nowak had racially abused her and removed her headscarf, leading officers to arrest and handcuff the University of Southampton student before they saw her fatal injuries.

Hampshire police have apologized for their actions, which attracted global attention after being criticized by X owner Elon Musk. Police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating the incident.

Sentencing Digwa, Judge Mousley KC told him: “You have brought shame to your family, your community and your religion. Your actions have increased racial tensions, which has left many Sikhs fearing for their safety.”

Nowak, from Essex, was attacked as he walked home after a night out with the football team. During the hearing Jeremy Wainwright KC, for Digwa from Southampton, claimed he carried the knife as part of his religion.

At Monday’s sentencing hearing, Wainwright said Digwa did not go out that night with the intention of using the knife as a weapon and had no criminal record.

Nicholas Lobbenberg KC, for the prosecution, had told the jury at Southampton crown court that while Digwa wore a small kirpan (a ceremonial sword or dagger worn by Sikhs) under his clothing, fulfilling his religious obligation, he also chose to carry a much larger knife.

At Monday’s hearing, Lobbenberg described the murder as “a sustained attack on an unarmed man.” He said Digwa was “skilled with guns, trained with guns, slept with guns, looked for guns on his phone.” The lawyer said: “He is a man obsessed with guns.”

Lobbenberg said aggravating features include Digwa being responsible for Nowak’s death, alone, humiliated and handcuffed.

He said Digwa took videos of Nowak with close-ups of her face as she ran away and as she lay injured, which he said was “intrusive and humiliating”. Digwa’s false defense that Nowak was a racist and drunk attacker compounded his family’s pain and loss.

Nowak’s father, Mark, said in his victim’s personal statement that he took his son, the oldest of four children, to college a few weeks before he was killed and helped organize his room. She said she saw her son for the last time when she returned home to watch the pantomime, a family tradition.

He said he felt like he let his son down because he wasn’t there to protect him. “I couldn’t help Henry in his final moments and there’s nothing I can do to bring him back,” she said. “I’m so sorry I let this happen.”

The judge described Nowak as principled and hopeful. He was alone and unarmed on the night of the attack.

Mousley said that when they approached each other, Nowak asked Digwa if he was a “bad man”, possibly because he saw the large dagger; It was an unusual sight for an 18-year-old non-Sikh.

The judge said Digwa may have felt disrespected but added: “I’m sure Henry didn’t say anything racist.”

Mousley said Digwa wore a kirpan but also carried a large knife in his daily life.

He said Sikh worshipers were allowed to be in public places with a bladed item, but “with this privilege comes great responsibility. It is a fundamental tenet of Sikhism that the kirpan is worn as a symbol of religious faith and never for an offensive purpose.”

Nowak’s sister, Olivia, said in a victim impact statement that her brother lit up every room and 650 people attended his funeral. “My life will never be the same without my best friend,” she said. “He was a part of me. I lost a lot of myself when he died. He deserved to grow old and start his own family.”

His mother, Lucy Ross, recalled her son “laughing” when she told him he had gotten a place at university. “We talk about Henry every day and we always will,” he said. “He will always be loved beyond words. We will carry this pain for the rest of our lives.”

Nowak’s stepfather, David Stephenson, said the teenager would not tolerate racism, sexism or bullying. He said: “He treated people with respect and kindness and that was something I deeply admired.”

The Sikh Federation said the Sikh community was harassed during the hearing and that there were misunderstandings about the kirpan. The statement said: “We wish to make it clear that the law only provides a defense under the law for practicing Sikhs to wear the kirpan for religious reasons.

“If a kirpan or bladed object is used aggressively in an act of violence, the kirpan defense does not apply under the law and it is considered an offensive weapon. We understand that the weapon that may have been used in this case was not the regular kirpan worn by fully practicing Sikhs. This nuance is critically important and may not have been explained or understood by those asked to testify in this case.”

In the United Kingdom, it is legal for a person to own a kirpan for religious, ceremonial, sporting or historical reasons. The government says that if a person is accused of illegally carrying a knife or gun, it is up to the court to decide whether they had a good reason to do so.