Henry Nowak’s killer ‘applies to have murder conviction quashed AND his sentence reduced’

Henry Nowak’s killer has reportedly attempted to have his murder conviction annulled and his sentence reduced.

Vickrum Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life imprisonment last month with a minimum term of 21 years in prison after stabbing Mr Nowak, 18, to death with a ceremonial dagger in December.

Digwa did not know his young victim but ‘lied’ to police officers at the scene, claiming Mr Nowak had hurled racist abuse at him, punched him and knocked off his turban.

Mr Nowak was arrested as he lay covered in his own blood before dying ‘alone, humiliated and handcuffed’ in police custody.

According to The Mirror, Digwa appealed to the Court of Appeal in the hope of reducing his prison sentence.

This came despite Attorney General Ellie Reeves KC applying for the prison sentence to be reconsidered under the Extremely Less Sentencing scheme.

The Court of Appeal confirmed that Digwa’s case had previously been deemed “overly lenient”.

An official added: ‘This person also recently applied for permission to appeal the conviction and sentence.’

Henry was a finance student at the University of Southampton and was described by his family as ‘kind and talented’.

An appeals court judge will now decide whether Digwa will be given the opportunity to appeal; If granted, the case will be heard by three judges sitting in the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeals.

Digwa was sentenced to life imprisonment for stabbing Mr Nowak with a 21cm ceremonial knife he claimed to carry as part of his Sikh religion.

He was previously investigated by police on suspicion of stealing ceremonial knives from a Sikh temple in Southampton in 2023, but no further action was taken.

Judge William Mousley, who handed down the sentence at Southampton Crown Court last month, withdrew accusations of racism against Digwa, saying of Mr Nowak: ‘I’m sure Henry didn’t say anything racist.

‘You are the only person making this claim and it is completely contradictory to his previous character.’

There was widespread outrage after police body camera footage of an arrested Southampton University student was released.

The footage shows Mr. Nowak being handcuffed as he lay dying.

Mr Nowak was heard repeatedly telling police ‘I can’t breathe’ before his death.

Killer Vickrum Digwa is seen telling police that the teenager ripped off his turban during a racist attack. This was later described as a ‘bad lie’

Gurpreet Digwa called 999 and told police: We were racially attacked by a white person after he stabbed his brother Henry Nowak six times with a Sikh ceremonial sword.

Ellie Reeves KC previously described the case as ‘appalling’ and added that she knew the sentiment was ‘shared by the British public’.

Speaking about his appeal to the Court of Appeal, he said: ‘It is true that difficult questions need to be answered about the police’s handling of the murder of Henry Nowak, and it is my duty to review the sentence Digwa received for his crimes.

‘After careful consideration, I have decided to refer this case to the Court of Appeal.

‘No sentence can undo the devastation felt by Henry’s family or fill the void left by his loss. But I hope this guidance will be a step towards providing them with the justice they deserve.’

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously said he was ‘sickened’ watching footage of police handcuffing Mr Nowak on his deathbed and that there were ‘serious questions’ to be answered about the case.

Last month, the decision to dismiss the charge sparked outrage after Digwa’s sister, Gurpreet, accused Mr Nowak of racism and aggression.

Evidence at Vickrum Digwa’s trial also suggested that his brother may have committed perjury, aided the criminal and obstructed the police.

Gurpreet Digwa watched as police handcuffed the mortally wounded Henry. “We were racially attacked by a white person,” he told officers before mistakenly arresting Henry as he lay on his deathbed.

Last month, the Daily Mail revealed that Hampshire Police had not asked the Crown Prosecution Service to consider any case against Gurpreet in relation to Henry’s murder.

An online petition called for him to be reinvestigated.