Murderer Vickrum Digwa granted permission to challenge life sentence

Vickrum Digwa, sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 21 years for the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak, received permission to appeal both his conviction and the length of his sentence. The appeal will be heard by the Court of Appeal on November 5, with a separate decision on his request to overturn the murder verdict. The Attorney General intends to argue that the punishment is insufficient, joining Digwa’s own challenge.

The incident occurred on December 3 in Southampton, when Digwa stabbed Nowak after falsely accusing him of racial abuse, leading police to handcuff the victim as he lay dying. Public anger intensified after police body-worn video showed the dying student being restrained. The Solicitor General, Ellie Reeves KC, previously referred the case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, citing one outlet shock over the murder and police conduct.