Vickrum Digwa Appeals Conviction And Life Sentence Over Henry Nowak Stabbing In Southampton

Vickrum Digwa, 23, who was jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years in June after fatally stabbing 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton last December, is seeking to appeal against his conviction and sentence, the Court of Appeal has confirmed.

“- Published The man who murdered student Henry Nowak is seeking to appeal against his conviction and sentence, the Court of Appeal has confirmed”

BBC

The sentence was referred to the Court of Appeal as "unduly lenient" by Solicitor General Ellie Reeves, and no date has been set for either Digwa’s appeal or the bid to increase the sentence.

BBC

After the stabbing, Digwa lied to police that he was the victim of a racist attack, and the case later sparked protests after police body-worn footage showed officers failing to give first aid and instead handcuffing him as he lay dying despite him telling officers he could not breathe.

Henry Nowak, who came from Chafford Hundred in Essex, died from his wounds soon after telling officers he had been stabbed, and his father Mark Nowak said the difference in treatment was "unbearable" when Digwa was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct said on Wednesday it was investigating two officers for potential gross misconduct, including potential failures to realise Henry needed urgent medical attention and to take action when he said he had been stabbed and could not breathe.

One officer is also under investigation for potentially breaching conduct standards by dismissing the teenager’s claim that he had been stabbed, and the watchdog is also looking at whether race or religion played a part in the officers’ decision-making.

LBC

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said there were "serious questions" to answer about the case after it prompted national outrage and violent disorder in Southampton.

In a statement read outside court following Digwa’s sentencing, Mark Nowak contrasted the treatment he said his son received with the treatment he said Digwa received, saying: "Instead of being treated as a dying victim, police formally arrested Henry for assault and read him his rights."

Protests erupted in Southampton on 2 June after police bodycam footage showing the two officers interactions with Henry as he lay dying was released, and the disorder began outside the city centre police station before moving to an area near the Digwa family home.

“A British Sikh man who was jailed for life for murdering young white student Henry Nowak is seeking to appeal against his conviction and sentence, the Court of Appeal said Friday”

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Twelve police officers and a police dog were injured during the protests, and seventeen people have so far been jailed for their involvement in the disorder, according to the BBC.

The Court of Appeal confirmed Digwa is seeking permission to challenge both his conviction and sentence, while no date has been set for the hearing of the appeal or the separate hearing into whether his sentence should be increased.

In the aftermath, leaders within Southampton’s Sikh community urged people to maintain "peace and harmony," and the Council of Southampton Gurdwaras condemned Digwa’s actions and stressed that violence on the streets should never be accepted or tolerated.