Southampton student Henry Nowak's murder: killer confesses, mother jailed

On 3 December 2025, 23‑year‑old Vickrum Digwa stabbed 18‑year‑old finance student Henry Nowak to death in Southampton. While being transported between a police station and court on 5 December, Digwa was secretly recorded in a police van speaking in Punjabi with his older brother Gurpreet. The transcript, obtained by the BBC, shows Digwa admitting he stabbed Nowak multiple times – one wound to the face and another to the chest – and acknowledging the use of a large dagger rather than the ceremonial kirpan he had carried.

Digwa had initially claimed self‑defence, alleging a racial attack, but the confession contradicted that narrative. He was convicted of murder and of carrying an offensive weapon and, on 1 June 2026, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years.

In July 2026, his mother Kiran Kaur, 53, was found guilty of assisting an offender after she removed the murder weapon from the crime scene and concealed it in the family home. She was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court to three years’ custody. The case sparked criticism of police handling and drew comment from the Sikh community regarding the mischaracterisation of the weapon as a kirpan.