Man found guilty of murdering 18-year-old student with Sikh ceremonial knife in Southampton

A Sikh man was found guilty of murdering an 18-year-old college student by stabbing her with a 21cm Sikh kirpan ceremonial knife.

Vickrum Digwa told police a “bad lie” that he was the victim of a racist attack after stabbing finance student Henry Nowak, from Chaffod Hundred, Essex, five times in the incident on Belmont Road, Southampton, on December 3, 2025.

Mr Nowak was filmed by his victim telling him: “I’m a bad man” moments before the stabbing, which left him with two stab wounds to the back of his legs and a fatal wound to his heart.

The 23-year-old was also found guilty of carrying a bladed weapon in public, while his mother Kiran Kaur, 53, was also found guilty of assisting an offender by removing the weapon from the scene.

Giving evidence, the defendant told the court that Mr Nowak, whom he described as drunk, racially abused him before punching him and knocking off his hijab.

She said she stabbed Mr. Nowak in the back of his legs in self-defense after Mr. Nowak threatened her and grabbed her by the hair, but she did not realize at the time that he had caused the fatal stab wound in her chest.

However, the prosecution said Digwa told a “bad lie” to the police who arrived at the scene, telling them that he was the victim of a racist attack.

He also “lied” to officers that he did not stab Mr. Nowak despite the student’s calls for help while telling police he was injured.

This led to officers arresting Mr Nowak and handcuffing him moments before he collapsed and lost consciousness, despite efforts to give him first aid.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has published a proposal on X to fund a special investigation against the police, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating the circumstances of the incident.

Prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg KC told the jury that Digwa, who had had weapons training since the age of 12, described the murder weapon in “affectionate terms” and “slept in a bedroom full of an arsenal of weapons”.

He also said that although Sikhs are legally allowed to carry a kirpan knife, carrying a small dagger separately under clothing is sufficient in terms of the requirements of the religion.

He said the defendant “chose” to carry two knives, one under his clothing, while the large knife used in the murder was on display.

He added: “This is a man who loves guns. He thinks the knife is a suitable wedding gift for his brother.”

Judge William Mousley KC adjourned the case for Digwa to be sentenced on June 1 and Kaur to be sentenced on July 17.