Henry Nowak's killer Vickrum Digwa has life sentence increased after bid to cut it fails

Henry Nowak's killer has had his life sentence increased on the day his bid to reduce it failed.

Vickrum Digwa was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years at Southampton Crown Court in June after stabbing Mr Nowak to death in Southampton on 3 December last year.

After stabbing the student, Digwa lied to police that he was the victim of a racist attack.

Digwa, 23, appealed against his sentence, arguing it was "manifestly excessive".

However, judges at the Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday that his sentence was "unduly lenient" and he should serve a minimum of 25 years.

Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, sitting with Mr Justice Nicklin and Mr Justice Wall, said: "A minimum term of 21 years did not adequately reflect the overall seriousness of the murder. It was not only lenient, but unduly so."

Jonathan Polnay KC, for the Attorney General, earlier told the hearing that Digwa had "repeatedly" used the knife against an "unarmed and defenceless stranger".

He said that the sentence "failed adequately to reflect" the aggravating features in the case.

Mr Polnay told judges that Digwa "abused the privilege" allowing Sikhs to carry blades in public and that he "zoomed in on Henry's face whilst verbally gloating" as he filmed the aftermath of the attack.

Digwa watched proceedings via a video link from HMP Frankland in County Durham, wearing a dark suit, shirt and tie.

The murder case sparked protests after police body-worn footage was released showing officers failing to give Mr Nowak first aid and instead handcuffing him as he lay dying, despite him telling officers he could not breathe.

At the time, Judge William Mousley KC said the killer's attempts to lie to police and cover up his crime were among several aggravating factors that increased his sentence.

Mr Nowak's family say they have been "failed multiple times" by the police response to the 18-year-old's death.

In an interview for ITV Tonight, the family accused police of misleading them, giving changing accounts of their response to his stabbing and initially portraying him as the aggressor in the situation.

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(c) Sky News 2026: Henry Nowak's killer Vickrum Digwa has life sentence increased after bid to cut it fails