Family of slain student says knife crime is a 'national emergency' as killer jailed
The family of murdered student Henry Nowak said they would carry their grief “every single day” for the rest of their lives, urging the government to treat knife crime as a “national emergency.” The call comes after Vickrum Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 21 years for stabbing the 18-year-old in Southampton last December using a 21-centimeter blade that Digwa claimed he carried as part of his Sikh faith.
Digwa initially lied to police, claiming he was the victim of a racist attack, and officers handcuffed Nowak as he lay bleeding on the ground. The student’s family condemned the police treatment as “inhumane and degrading,” prompting an apology from Hampshire Police.
Donna Jones, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner, confirmed she had written to the prime minister calling for “an urgent review on the carrying of bladed articles for religious and ceremonial purposes.” She acknowledged that while the situation was stressful, “mistakes were made and that needs to be uncovered. My job is not to defend the police; my job is to ensure the police are doing what they should be doing.”
The Home Office has been approached for comment. Bodycam footage released by the force, with the family’s permission, shows officers arriving at the scene and speaking to Digwa and others.
Judge William Mousley KC told Southampton Crown Court he was satisfied that Nowak had not said anything racist to the Sikh man who killed him. Before sentencing, the judge told Digwa his actions had “stirred up racial tension in Southampton and across the country which has made many Sikhs worried about their safety.”
Warning: This story contains details some may find upsetting.
In court, Henry’s older sister, Olivia Nowak, described her brother as her “best friend,” saying their bond was “unbreakable.” She recalled the moment officers arrived with the news: “The day we got the knock on the door to say my brother had passed, I don’t think there are any words to describe that type of pain. A lot of myself died when he died.”
She added: “Henry was the most wonderful, funny, handsome, kind, precious, smart boy. He lit every room he walked in.” Watching her younger siblings grieve, she said, was “a pain layered on top of my own.”
A statement read by prosecutors on behalf of Henry’s mother, Lucy Ross, said: “Being told that your son has died is something no one can ever truly come to terms with. The circumstances were so tragic and unimaginable that the pain is beyond anything I knew existed.” She described Henry as “ambitious, determined, and full of life,” adding that “there will always be a hole in our hearts that can never be repaired.”
Henry’s stepmother, Katie Woodcock, told the court how she “replay[s] the horrors of that night over again. It keeps me awake at night.” She described watching Henry’s father, Mark Nowak, “unable to stand” and hearing his “raw, unfiltered sobs” echo through the house. She also recalled finding one of her children, aged 10, “curled up at the top of stairs, alone and frightened,” having overheard the conversation.
Days before the attack, the family had attended a pantomime together. “We waved him off back to Southampton university, back to the city that was not safe for him,” she said. Clearing out Henry’s university room, she found his Advent calendar with only the first three doors open. “That broke me,” she added.
In a family statement read after the sentencing, Mark Nowak acknowledged the “shocking actions” of police on the night Henry died but expressed “heartfelt gratitude” to the murder investigation team. “They secured justice for our son and for that our family will be forever grateful,” he said.
Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Robert France apologized that Henry had been arrested and handcuffed. The force has promised to act on recommendations from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which is investigating the officers’ actions.
The case has reignited debate over exemptions that allow Sikhs to carry ceremonial knives known as Kirpans. Commissioner Jones noted that while Digwa carried a longer, larger blade than a typical Kirpan, the law currently permits it as long as it is in a sheath. “I think we need greater clarity, that’s why I have written to the prime minister,” she said.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer commented on the case on X, writing: “This is an awful, shocking case. We must end the cycle of tragedy by tackling the horror of knife crime.”
With knife-related homicides remaining a persistent issue across the UK, the Nowak family’s plea for a national emergency declaration adds pressure on the government to revisit both policing protocols and legal loopholes surrounding religious blade-carrying.