In December 2025, police searching a family home in Southampton allegedly found 37 swords, three machetes, three ninja swords, two flick-knives, eight knuckledusters, an extendable baton, and a manriki-gusari – a weighted metal chain. The three men who lived there – Vickrum Digwa, his brother Gurpreet Digwa, and their father Moga Singh – have pleaded not guilty to multiple weapons charges. Their case, which follows the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak by Vickrum Digwa, is a dramatic example of how the UK regulates the possession of bladed and offensive weapons.
The basics are straightforward: under the Prevention of Crime Act 1953, it is an offence to have an offensive weapon in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse. An offensive weapon is defined as any article made or adapted to cause injury to a person, or intended by the person having it for such use. Examples include flick-knives, gravity knives, knuckledusters, and swords if carried with intent to harm. Separately, the Criminal Justice Act 1988 makes it illegal to have a bladed or sharply pointed article in public, with exceptions for folding pocket knives with a blade under three inches, and for tools used for work or religious ceremonies. Possessing certain weapons – such as flick-knives, gravity knives, and push daggers – is banned outright even in private, under section 141 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.
“Explains UK laws on possessing weapons like swords and knuckledusters, using the Digwa family case as an example.”
The background to these laws is a long history of concern about knife crime and violent attacks. The UK has some of the strictest weapons legislation in the world, with successive governments adding to the list of banned items. In the Digwa case, the alleged weapons include items that are banned outright – such as flick-knives and knuckledusters – and others that can be legally owned as antiques or for martial arts, like swords. At court, the family's lawyer said some of the swords were antiques and some were used for "religious martial arts". However, all the charges relate to possession on 4 December 2025, the day after Henry Nowak was stabbed to death.
Why does this matter for UK readers? Because the laws affect anyone who owns knives or swords, even if they are kept at home. A collector of antique swords could technically be prosecuted if the items are banned (like a ninja sword, which is a curved blade over 50cm), or if the collection is deemed to be intended for harm. And carrying a kitchen knife in public without a good reason can lead to a conviction. The Digwa case also highlights the wider fallout from Henry Nowak's death: the killer, Vickrum Digwa, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 21 years, but the Solicitor General referred the sentence as "unduly lenient", and Digwa is appealing both conviction and sentence. Police officers are under investigation for possible gross misconduct after body-worn footage showed them failing to give Nowak first aid and handcuffing him as he lay dying.
Q: What counts as an offensive weapon under UK law? The law recognises three categories: articles made for causing injury (like knuckledusters or flick-knives), articles adapted for injury (like a sharpened coin), and any article intended to be used for injury (like a bottle you plan to smash). For bladed items, there is a separate offence of having a blade or sharp point in public without good reason.
Q: Can you legally own a sword or knuckleduster at home? It depends. Some weapons, such as flick-knives, gravity knives, push daggers, and certain curved swords (like ninja swords), are illegal to possess at all, even in your own home. Others, like a katana kept as an antique or for martial arts, are generally legal but could become illegal if you intend to use them to cause injury. Knuckledusters are banned outright.
Q: What happened in the Henry Nowak case? On 3 December 2025, Vickrum Digwa stabbed Henry Nowak to death in Southampton. Digwa initially lied to police that he was the victim of a racist attack, but was later convicted and jailed for life. The next day, police searched the family home and allegedly found the large cache of weapons. His father and brother have now pleaded not guilty to possessing those weapons. Meanwhile, the Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating two officers over how they treated Nowak after the stabbing.
What happens next? All three defendants are due to appear at a case management hearing on 4 June 2027, with a trial set for 27 September 2027. Vickrum Digwa is separately seeking to appeal against his conviction and sentence. The IOPC investigation into police conduct is ongoing.