Sikh man Vickrum Digwa seeks to appeal conviction in Henry Nowak murder case

Sikh man Vickrum Singh Digwa, who was convicted of murdering 18-year-old university student Henry Nowak, is seeking to appeal both his conviction and his life sentence, the Court of Appeal has confirmed.Digwa was sentenced in June to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years after fatally stabbing Nowak in Southampton on December 3 last year.His sentence is already due to be reviewed after Solicitor General Ellie Reeves referred it to the Court of Appeal, arguing that the 21-year minimum term may be “unduly lenient”.No date has yet been fixed for either Digwa’s appeal or the hearing on whether his sentence should be increased, and the grounds of his appeal have not been disclosed.

Murder, false claims and aftermath

According to prosecutors, Digwa fatally stabbed Nowak before falsely claiming to police that he had himself been the victim of a racist attack.Digwa was also convicted of carrying a knife in public. His mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, was found guilty of assisting an offender after attempting to conceal the knife used in the attack. She is due to be sentenced later this month.At Digwa’s sentencing, Henry Nowak’s father, Mark Nowak, described the contrast between the treatment of his son and his killer as “unbearable”.

Bodycam footage sparked national outrage

The case drew widespread attention after police body-worn camera footage was released showing officers handcuffing Nowak as he lay critically injured, despite his repeated pleas that he had been stabbed and could not breathe.Moments after the attack, Digwa allegedly claimed he had been racially abused and assaulted. When officers arrived, they restrained Nowak instead of immediately providing medical assistance.The release of the footage, followed by Digwa’s murder conviction and nationwide protests, turned the case into a national flashpoint over policing, race and public trust.Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer later said there were “serious questions” that needed to be answered about the police response to the incident.

Police watchdog investigating officers

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating two officers for potential gross misconduct over their handling of the incident.The watchdog is examining whether officers failed to recognise Nowak’s urgent medical needs, ignored his repeated claims that he had been stabbed, and wrongly chose to arrest and handcuff him instead of administering first aid.One officer is also being investigated over allegations of dismissing Nowak’s claim that he had been stabbed.The IOPC is further investigating whether race or religion influenced the officers’ decision-making during the incident.The release of the bodycam footage triggered protests in Southampton in early June. Demonstrations escalated into disorder, leaving 12 police officers and a police dog injured. Seventeen people have since been jailed over their involvement in the unrest.Following the disturbances, Sikh community leaders in Southampton appealed for calm, with the Council of Southampton Gurdwaras condemning Digwa’s actions and stressing that violence should never be tolerated.