Key facts
- Vickrum Digwa, 23, has applied to the Court of Appeal to quash his murder conviction and reduce his 21-year minimum sentence.
- Digwa was convicted of murdering Henry Nowak, 18, who died after being stabbed with a ceremonial dagger.
- Digwa falsely claimed Nowak racially abused him, which the judge dismissed as untrue.
- Nowak was arrested by police while injured and died in custody, leading to public outrage and investigations into police conduct.
- The Solicitor General had previously referred Digwa's sentence to the Court of Appeal as potentially unduly lenient.
Vickrum Digwa, who was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum 21-year term for the murder of Henry Nowak, has initiated a legal bid to have his conviction overturned and his sentence reduced. Digwa stabbed Nowak, 18, with a ceremonial dagger in December. At the scene, Digwa falsely claimed Nowak had subjected him to racist abuse and attacked him, leading to Nowak's arrest while he was bleeding and later dying in police custody. This handling of the arrest sparked public outrage and investigations into potential gross misconduct by two officers. The judge at Digwa's sentencing rejected the racism claim, stating it was contrary to Nowak's character. The Solicitor General, Ellie Reeves KC, had previously referred Digwa's sentence to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, hoping to increase the jail term. Now, Digwa's legal team has lodged an application with the same court seeking to quash his conviction and reduce his sentence. A single judge will first determine if Digwa is granted leave to appeal, with a full hearing by three judges to follow if permission is granted. Nowak's family has called for calm and for his death not to be used to create further division.