The man convicted of murdering 18-year-old student Henry Nowak has had his minimum prison term extended after the Court of Appeal ruled that his original sentence was “unduly lenient.”
Vickrum Digwa was jailed for life in June with a minimum term of 21 years after stabbing Henry five times with a ceremonial dagger in Southampton last December. Following a review of the case, senior judges concluded that the original minimum term did not adequately reflect the seriousness of the murder.
The court increased the minimum term to 25 years.
Court Finds Original Sentence Did Not Reflect the Full Seriousness of the Crime
Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, sitting alongside Mr Justice Nicklin and Mr Justice Wall, said the original sentence had fallen outside the range reasonably open to the sentencing judge.
“A minimum term of 21 years did not adequately reflect the overall seriousness of the murder,” the judges said. “It was not only lenient, but unduly so.”
Jonathan Polnay KC, representing the Attorney General, told the court that Digwa had repeatedly used the knife against an “unarmed and defenceless stranger.”
The hearing also considered aggravating features of the case, including the finding that Digwa had abused the privilege extended to Sikhs to carry ceremonial blades in public. The court heard that he also filmed Henry after the attack, including footage in which he allegedly zoomed in on the teenager’s face while verbally gloating.
Digwa appeared by video link from HMP Frankland in County Durham and showed no apparent reaction as his minimum sentence was increased.
A Family Still Fighting for Justice
Henry’s family welcomed the Court of Appeal’s decision but said that no prison sentence could ever undo the loss of their son.
In a statement, they said the ruling represented “an important step towards justice” for Henry and their family.
“Our son was just 18 years old,” they said. “He had his entire future ahead of him, a future that was so cruelly and needlessly stolen from him.”
The family added that they had been given “a life sentence of grief,” with no possibility of an appeal, a reduction in their suffering or the return of their son.
They also thanked the Attorney General for recognising the seriousness of the case and referring the original sentence for review.
Attorney General Ellie Reeves said the brutality and cruelty of the murder had horrified the public and welcomed the decision to increase Digwa’s minimum term.
She said that while no sentence could fill the void left by Henry’s death, she hoped the outcome would bring his loved ones some measure of justice.
Concerns Over the Early Release of Digwa’s Mother
The ruling comes as Henry’s family continues to raise concerns about the planned early release of Digwa’s mother, Kiran Kaur.
Kaur, 53, was sentenced to three years for assisting an offender after she arrived at the scene, took the ceremonial dagger and hid it in her son’s bedroom. The weapon was later found to have Henry’s blood on it.
The family has strongly criticised the possibility of her release under the government’s early release scheme.
Henry’s mother, Lucy Ross, described the prospect as particularly painful because Kaur’s expected release date falls around the anniversary of her son’s murder.
“She’s lucky enough that she could go and see her boy,” Lucy said. “I have to go to Henry’s grave to see Henry.”
His father, Mark Nowak, also expressed his heartbreak over the timing, saying that Kaur could be home for Christmas while Henry would not be there with his family.
Henry Was Just 18 When His Life Was Taken
Henry was a first-year finance student who was walking home in Southampton when he was attacked last December.
After the stabbing, Digwa claimed that he had been the victim of a racist attack. He and his brother, Gurpreet, told police that Henry had been drunk, used slurs and attacked Digwa.
However, the evidence presented in court told a very different story.
Police body-worn camera footage showed Henry repeatedly telling officers that he had been stabbed. He could be heard saying, “I’ve been stabbed,” as he struggled in the aftermath of the attack.
Henry’s family says their fight for answers, accountability and meaningful change is not over.
An independent review, led by former lord chancellor Alex Chalk, has also been announced. The review will examine whether there were any missed opportunities to intervene before Henry’s death.
For Henry’s loved ones, the longer minimum sentence is a significant development—but it cannot erase the devastating loss of a young man whose future was taken far too soon.