When a mother takes the knife used by her son to kill a student and hides it among other weapons at home, she is not just protecting her child — she is committing a serious crime that can land her in prison for years. Kiran Kaur, 53, was jailed for three years in July 2026 for removing the murder weapon from the scene of her son Vickrum Digwa's killing of 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton. Her case highlights the offence of assisting an offender, a charge that can apply to anyone who helps a criminal after a crime.
Assisting an offender is a legal term for helping someone who has committed a crime to avoid arrest, prosecution or conviction. It is a criminal offence under UK law. In Kaur's case, she took the 21cm (8in) blade used to stab Nowak five times and placed it in her son's bedroom among a larger collection of ceremonial and other weapons. Judge William Mousley KC said this helped conceal what the knife had been used for and that her motive was "mistakenly, to protect your son". But the law says such actions are punishable even if driven by parental instinct.
“Explains the crime of assisting an offender using the Kiran Kaur case as an example.”
The offence has a long history in English law, designed to hold accountable those who obstruct justice. Typically, it involves hiding evidence, lying to police, destroying items or helping a suspect flee. In Kaur's situation, she acted after receiving a phone call from her son. She took the knife from Belmont Road back to the family home on St Denys Road, Southampton. The knife was not found by police until seven days after the murder. Prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg KC described her role as "crucial" and said the absence of the weapon at the scene hampered police who were "confronted with a wall of lies".
For UK readers, this case is a stark reminder that helping a family member after a serious crime can have severe legal consequences. It does not matter if you are a parent, sibling or friend — the law does not grant immunity for emotional bonds. The judge explicitly said a responsible parent would have challenged their son and encouraged him to do the right thing. Instead, Kaur's actions "added to your son's pretence that he had done nothing wrong and that he was the victim". Her sentence was intended to deter others who might find themselves in a similar situation.
Q: What does 'assisting an offender' mean in UK law? It is a criminal offence where someone helps a person they know or believe has committed a crime to avoid arrest, prosecution or conviction. This can include hiding evidence, destroying weapons, providing a false alibi or helping the offender flee.
Q: What is the maximum sentence for assisting an offender? The maximum penalty varies depending on the seriousness of the original offence. For murder cases, it can be up to 10 years in prison. In Kiran Kaur's case, she received three years, which the judge said reflected her motive to protect her son and her low risk of reoffending.
Q: Can parents be prosecuted for helping their children? Yes. Parental instinct is not a legal defence. The judge in Kaur's case stressed that a responsible parent would have encouraged their child to do the right thing, not cover up the crime.
What happens next? Henry Nowak's family has called for a full investigation, saying they will "never give up in our campaign for justice". Kaur is now serving her sentence, while her son Vickrum Digwa is serving a life sentence with a minimum of 21 years for murder. The Crown Prosecution Service has emphasised that those who help murderers evade justice will be held accountable.
