Court to hear appeals over Henry Nowak murder sentence

Judges at the Royal Courts of Justice are set to hear two opposing appeals regarding the sentence of Vickrum Digwa, who was jailed for life for the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak in Southampton last December.

Digwa, 23, is appealing his minimum term of 21 years, arguing the sentence is “manifestly excessive”. Simultaneously, Attorney General Ellie Reeves has referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal, arguing it was “unduly lenient”.

The killing of Mr. Nowak sparked significant unrest after video footage showed police handcuffing the teenager while he lay dying. The footage revealed that Digwa had falsely claimed the victim had racially abused him.

In addition to the sentencing appeals, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced an independent review into the murder to examine any missed opportunities to intervene. Investigations into the Hampshire Police's handling of the incident are also ongoing.

Meanwhile, the family of Henry Nowak has expressed distress over the potential early release of Digwa’s mother, Kiran Kaur. Kaur was sentenced to three years for disposing of the murder weapon and may be eligible for release as early as December.