Key facts
- Kiran Kaur, mother of murderer Vickrum Digwa, was jailed for three years.
- Kaur was convicted of assisting an offender by removing the murder weapon from the scene.
- Vickrum Digwa was sentenced to life with a minimum of 20 years for the murder of Henry Nowak.
- Digwa falsely accused the victim, Henry Nowak, of racial abuse and removing his turban.
- Nowak was handcuffed by police as he lay dying at the scene.
- The false accusation and subsequent events led to riots in Southampton.
Kiran Kaur, the mother of Vickrum Digwa, has been sentenced to three years in prison for her role in assisting her son after he murdered 18-year-old student Henry Nowak. Kaur was found guilty of removing the 21cm knife used in the stabbing from the crime scene.
Digwa, 23, was previously jailed for life with a minimum of 20 years for fatally stabbing Nowak five times in December. Upon arrival at the scene, Digwa falsely claimed Nowak had racially abused him and knocked off his turban. This false accusation led police to handcuff the student before they discovered his fatal injuries. The revelation of the false accusation and the handcuffing of the dying victim sparked riots in Southampton, resulting in at least 25 individuals being charged with violent disorder.
Hampshire Constabulary is currently under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct regarding the arrest of Nowak. Members of the Sikh faith from Nowak's hometown have met with his mother, Lucy Ross, expressing that his murder should not divide their community and offering their support. Nowak's father, Mark Nowak, has called for his son's death not to be exploited or politicized, advocating instead for his story to be used to make streets safer for everyone.