The sentence of Vickrum Digwa, the man who murdered 18-year-old Henry Nowak, has been referred to the Court of Appeal under the unduly lenient scheme after the solicitor general described the case as 'horrifying'. Ellie Reeves announced the referral on Tuesday, saying: 'This case horrified me, and I know that feeling is shared by the British public. It is right that difficult questions need to be answered about the way the police handled Henry Nowak's murder, while my role is to review Digwa's sentence for his crimes.'
Digwa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years earlier this month after stabbing Nowak to death with a Sikh ceremonial knife on 3 December 2025. The attack came after Digwa was filmed telling his victim, 'I am a bad man'. He inflicted two stab wounds to the back of Nowak's legs and a fatal wound to his heart. At trial, Digwa claimed Nowak, whom he described as drunk, had racially abused him, punched him and knocked his turban off, and that he acted in self-defence. He said he did not realise he had caused the fatal chest wound. But the prosecution said Digwa told a 'wicked lie' to police who attended the scene by claiming he was the victim of a racist attack and denying he had stabbed anyone.
“Solicitor general referred Vickrum Digwa's 21-year minimum sentence for murder to Court of Appeal as 'unduly lenient'”
Those lies led police to arrest Nowak and handcuff him as he lay bleeding. Body worn camera footage released after the killing sparked violent protests in Southampton. In the footage, Nowak can be heard pleading that he had been stabbed, to which one officer replied: 'I don't think you have, mate.' Moments later he collapsed and died despite attempts at first aid. Hampshire Police later apologised to Nowak's family, who described his treatment as 'inhumane and degrading' and said they would carry their grief 'every single day'. One officer involved in the arrest has resigned, while three others remain in service. Another officer, wrongly identified in connection with the case, was forced into hiding.
Reeves said: 'No sentence can ever undo the devastation that Henry's family have suffered, or fill the void left by his loss. But I hope this referral goes some way towards bringing them the justice they so rightly deserve.' The Court of Appeal will now decide whether to increase the life sentence. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is reviewing Hampshire Police's response to the 999 call, and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has told MPs she expects the watchdog's report within three months. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, who met the Nowak family, urged the nation to 'choose unity over hatred', adding: 'Henry deserves a legacy that goes beyond this awful tragedy.'