Vickrum Digwa Guilty in Henry Nowak Murder, Knife Case

Vickrum Digwa was found guilty of murdering henry Nowak, an 18-year-old University of Southampton student killed with a 21cm ceremonial blade in Southampton on 3 December. The jury also found him guilty of carrying a knife in public. Digwa said he acted in self defence.

The court heard Digwa told Southampton Crown Court that Nowak had used a racist insult, punched him and knocked his turban off. The jury rejected that account. Kiran Kaur was found guilty of assisting an offender, and Digwa is due to be sentenced at Southampton Crown Court on Monday.

Southampton Crown Court

Prosecutors said Nowak was walking home from a night out when he was stabbed five times. They said he was stabbed twice in the back of his legs, once in the face and fatally in the chest. Neighbours heard him say he had been stabbed and was dying.

Digwa was in Belmont Road at about 23:30 GMT with the blade in a sheath around his neck, according to the evidence heard in court. The attack was not witnessed. Nowak tried to get away by climbing over a fence and left a trail of blood behind him before he died.

Robert France apology

After the death, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Temporary deputy chief constable Robert France apologised and said officers had been lied to in a 999 call made by Digwa's brother. He said officers had faced an extremely complex crime scene.

Police initially handcuffed and arrested Nowak as he lost consciousness. The force later found the knife at the family's home after Digwa gave it to his mother, along with more than 20 other Sikh weapons. The sequence leaves a murder conviction, a police referral and a sentencing date that now sits with the court, while Kaur is due to be sentenced on 17 July.