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Court of Appeal to Hear Both Killer’s Appeal and Government Bid to Increase Sentence in Southampton Student Murder
Vickrum Digwa, sentenced to life with a 21-year minimum for stabbing 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton on 3 December 2025, is appealing both conviction and sentence. The Court of Appeal confirmed the appeal filing on 3 July 2026, while the Solicitor General has referred the term as unduly lenient and an independent probe examines officer conduct at the scene.
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The Court of Appeal confirmed on 3 July 2026 that Vickrum Digwa is seeking to appeal his conviction and sentence for the murder of Henry Nowak. Digwa received a life term with a minimum of 21 years at Southampton Crown Court after fatally stabbing the 18-year-old University of Southampton student on 3 December 2025.
The Solicitor General, Ellie Reeves, referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal in June 2026 as unduly lenient.
No date has been set for the hearing of Digwa's appeal or the Solicitor General's application to increase the sentence. After the stabbing, Digwa told police he was the victim of a racist attack. Police body-worn footage later showed officers failing to provide first aid to Nowak and instead handcuffing him as he lay dying, despite him stating he could not breathe.
Mark Nowak, the victim's father, stated at sentencing that the difference in treatment between his son and the killer was unbearable. On 4 June 2026, Sir Keir Starmer said there were serious questions to answer about the case. After meeting the Nowak family in Downing Street, Starmer stated that Henry deserves a legacy that goes beyond this awful tragedy and that he is determined to prevent other families from suffering such a devastating loss.
On 1 July 2026, the Independent Office for Police Conduct announced it is investigating two officers for potential gross misconduct. The probe examines failures to recognise that Nowak needed urgent medical attention, to act when he said he had been stabbed and could not breathe, and the decision to arrest and handcuff him instead of providing first aid.
