Sikh Man Jailed For Life After Stabbing Teen Over Racial Abuse Claims

A life sentence has been handed to a British Sikh for the murder of a university student, aged 18, in a case which sparked widespread controversy over the conduct of the police and allegations of racial abuse. Vickrum Digwa, 23, was told to serve a minimum of 21 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of the murder of Henry Nowak in Southampton, England. The fatal incident took place on December 3, when the teenager was walking home alone after spending the evening with friends.

Fatal Encounter in Southampton

According to evidence presented in court, Digwa stabbed Nowak with a 21-centimetre blade he claimed to carry as part of his Sikh faith. The victim, an accountancy and finance student from Essex, suffered fatal injuries during the confrontation. Jurors rejected Digwa’s claim that he acted in self-defence after being racially abused. On Friday, they returned a guilty verdict for murder, bringing an end to a trial that drew significant public attention across the United Kingdom.

The case generated outrage after it emerged that police officers handcuffed Nowak while he was critically injured on the ground. Officers initially treated the teenager as a suspect after Digwa falsely alleged that he had been racially abused and attacked.

Digwa also claimed his turban had been knocked off and that he had sustained injuries during the incident. Those allegations influenced officers’ initial assessment of the situation when they arrived at the scene.

Disturbing Body Camera Footage

The body camera recordings show officers moving the injured teenager onto his side before placing him in handcuffs. Within minutes, Nowak became unresponsive. One officer can be heard informing him that he was under arrest for assault. Police later requested an ambulance to examine the teenager, but the footage prompted widespread criticism after its release.

📷 BREAKING: Bodycam footage of the arrest of Henry Nowak, who had been stabbed moments prior by Vickrum Digwa.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary Metropolitan Police Service Southampton Police Southampton #breaking #news #video #bodycam #release #henryvickrum pic.twitter.com/yGqZU121FV

— Kiwi In Saigon (@in_saigon) June 2, 2026

Judge William Mousley, presiding at Southampton Crown Court, said the killing was carried out using a large knife that Digwa wore in a sheath attached to a belt outside his clothing. The court also heard that he was carrying a kirpan, the ceremonial dagger associated with Sikhism. The judge said that shortly before the attack, Nowak asked Digwa whether he was a ‘bad man’, possibly after noticing what Mousley described as a ‘large Sikh dagger’.

Court Rejects Racism Allegations

While acknowledging that Digwa may have felt offended by the interaction, the judge firmly rejected suggestions that the teenager had made racist remarks. ‘I am sure Henry said nothing racist,’ Mousley told the court.

Following the public backlash, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary apologised for handcuffing the victim and confirmed it had referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for review.

Addressing concerns surrounding the carrying of a kirpan, Judge Mousley noted that Sikh teachings state such items should never be carried for an offensive purpose. ‘You have disgraced your family and your religion,’ the judge told Digwa during sentencing. ‘Your actions have stirred up racial tension in Southampton and across the country, which has made many Sikhs worried about their safety,’ he said.

The court heard that Digwa’s weapon differed significantly from the kirpan commonly carried by Sikhs, which is generally a small ceremonial knife kept out of public view.

Sikh Groups Distance Faith From Crime

Throughout the trial, Digwa maintained that Nowak had racially threatened him. Those claims contributed to police initially treating the victim as a suspect. After the guilty verdict, several British Sikh organisations urged the public not to associate the crime with Sikh religious practices, arguing that the kirpan was being unfairly linked to the killing.

In a statement issued on Monday, Sikh Federation UK said prosecutors should have made it clear throughout proceedings that the murder weapon was not a kirpan.

‘The murder weapon is of Persian origin and known by an entirely different name. It is not a Sikh ceremonial knife, as many like Reform continue to describe,’ the statement read.

Community Leaders Defend Religious Symbol

The City Sikhs Foundation also condemned attempts to blame the wider Sikh community for the actions of a single individual. ‘The kirpan is a symbolic article of faith for Sikhs initiated into the Khalsa tradition. It is a constant reminder to Sikhs of the need to defend the most vulnerable in society, and it has been worn responsibly in Britain for generations,’ the organisation said.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prosecution Service rejected suggestions that it had described the murder weapon as a kirpan during the case. The sentencing closes a high-profile murder case that not only resulted in the death of a young student but also triggered national debate over policing decisions, racial allegations, and the treatment of Sikh religious symbols in public discourse.

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