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  "path": "/news/henry-nowak-man-guilty-sikh-ceremonial-knife",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-28T12:00:25.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Police have apologised for the treatment of Mr Nowak",
    "Police apologise to Henry Nowak's family for handcuffing teenager just moments before death",
    "Mother sentence to life in prison over murder of her 19-day-old baby",
    "Vast majority of teenage rapists spared prison in last five years, bombshell figures reveal",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nA Sikh man has been found guilty of murdering a university student after stabbing him with a Sikh ceremonial knife.\n\nVickrum Digwa, 23, was found guilty at Southampton Crown Court of the murder of university student Henry Nowak.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nHe was also found guilty of carrying a knife in public.\n\nMr Nowak was killed on December 3 last year, as he was walking home from a night out in Southampton.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nHe was stabbed 5 times, including a fatal wound to the chest, by a 21cm Sikh blade.\n\nDigwa’s mother, Kirun Kaur, also received a guilty verdict for assisting a defendant by removing the weapon from the scene.\n\nPolice have apologised for the treatment of Mr Nowak, including handcuffing the teenager just moments before he died.\n\nGiving evidence, the defendant told the court that Mr Nowak, who he described as \"weaving and stumbling\" from being drunk, had racially abused him before punching him and knocking his turban off.\n\nThe court heard evidence from a pathologist who said the student was under the legal limit to drive and that there was \"no evidence that Henry was punching people with his hands.\"\n\nA key piece of evidence shown in court was a snapchat video taken by Mr Nowak moments before the incident, in which he filmed Digwa and said “Go on, say you are a badman.”\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nIn the video, Digwa responds \"I am a bad man\" and approaches Mr Nowak and grabs his phone and holding it throughout the incident.\n\nThroughout the trial, Digwa argued he acted \"in self defence” claiming Mr Nowak had said: \"I’m going to kill you.\"\n\nDigwa was carrying a \"Kirpan\", a religious knife carried by initiated Sikhs as a mandatory article of faith.\n\nThe 23-year-old told the court that he used the weapon as a final resort, adding : \"I thought he was going to use my own Kirpan against me.\"\n\nThe jury heard that Digwa had an “interest in antique sikh weapons” and had been using them since he was 10-years-old.\n\nNicholas Lobbenberg KC, prosecuting, told the jury that Digwa, who had been training with weapons since the age of 12, had described the murder weapon in \"loving terms\" and that he \"sleeps in a bedroom with an arsenal of weapons\".\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * Police apologise to Henry Nowak's family for handcuffing teenager just moments before death\n  * Mother sentence to life in prison over murder of her 19-day-old baby\n  * Vast majority of teenage rapists spared prison in last five years, bombshell figures reveal\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nHe also said that although Sikhs are permitted in law to carry a kirpan knife, the discrete carrying of a small dagger under clothing was sufficient for the requirements of the religion.\n\nHe said the defendant “chose” to carry two knives, one under his clothing while the large knife which was used in the killing was on display.\n\nHe added: “This is a man who likes weapons. He thinks a knife is a suitable wedding present for his brother.”\n\nFirst, in the face, groin, and a fatal blow to the chest, and then again on the back of his legs as he tried to escape.\n\nAnother video, taken by Digwa, was shown in court where Mr Nowak climbs over a fence in an attempt to get away from his killer.\n\nA witness heard one voice say “you’re not going to get away with this big man” and another scared voice calling out, \"I’ve been stabbed.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nMr Nowak called out several times, saying \"I have been stabbed” and \"I can’t breathe.\"\n\nTranscripts from the night were read out by the prosecution, in which Mr Nowak is heard saying \"I am dying\" and Digwa replies \"You’re not dying bro.\"\n\nAbout 10 minutes later, Mr Nowak told Digwa \"You stabbed me\" to which he replied, \"No I didn’t\" and \"you were recording me thinking you’re sick.\"\n\nDigwa told the court during the trial: \"I was petrified at the time as he pulled out his phone to record his attack on me.\"\n\nDigwa’s brother attended the scene and called the police, claiming \"we just got attacked racially by some white person.\"\n\nThe killer’s father and mother also arrived at the scene on Belmont Road.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTranscripts included translations of a Punjabi conversation in which Digwa could be heard saying, \"Mum, mum\" and \"Take it away.\"\n\nKaur’s defence said she was distressed, uninformed, and placed the Kirpan among religious objects at home.\n\nWhen officers arrived at the scene, they handcuffed Mr Nowak.\n\nDigwa repeatedly lied to the police, saying Henry was \"pretending.\"\n\nHe later admitted: \"I did not mention the full truth and that I had stabbed him.\"\n\nJudge William Mousley KC adjourned the case to sentence Digwa on June 1 and Kaur on July 17.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTemp Deputy Chief Constable, Hampshire and IoW Police said: \"I’m sorry that Henry’s life couldn’t be saved that night, and I’m sorry that he was handcuffed and arrested in the moments before he lost consciousness.\n\n\"When his killer made that call to the police, and he called the police, not the ambulance service, he lied on that call. He lied when police attended the scene. He continued to lie as Henry’s condition deteriorated.”\n\n\"As Henry's condition deteriorated, it is clear, and it is absolutely tragic that it took them three minutes before they started to administer first aid.\n\n\"It is important, though, to say that the pathologist has been clear there is nothing officers could have done which would have saved Henry's life.”\n\nPolice referred themselves to the Independent Office of Police Conduct immediately after this incident and the investigation is ongoing.\n\nTech billionaire Elon Musk offered to fund a private prosecution against the police, posting on X: \"Unconscionable. I am happy to fund a wrongful death lawsuit against these disgusting excuses for law enforcement. They damn well better have been fired.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Man found guilty of murdering university student, 18, after stabbing him with Sikh ceremonial knife"
}