Vickrum Digwa, who murdered 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton, has had the minimum term of his life sentence increased from 21 to 25 years by the Court of Appeal, which found the original term “unduly lenient”.
Mr Nowak was fatally stabbed on December 3. Digwa filmed him as he lay dying and falsely accused him of racially abusing him. Digwa was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years in March, and the Court of Appeal increased that term on Thursday.
Members of Mr Nowak's family attended the hearing in London, with some wiping their eyes as the judges handed down their ruling.
Family describe 'life sentence of grief'
In a statement after the decision, the family said the ruling “represents an important step towards justice for Henry and our family”.
They said no sentence “can ever give Henry his life back”, adding that he had “his entire future ahead of him, a future that was so cruelly and needlessly stolen from him”.
They said: “We have been given a life sentence of grief. There is no appeal for us, no reduction in our suffering and no prospect of ever getting our son back.
“While today's decision is welcome, our fight for justice is far from over.
“Last week's announcement of an independent rapid review was the first piece of good news we've had since Henry's murder, and we will do everything we can to support Alex Chalk as he carries out his work.
“Meanwhile, we will never give up our fight for the truth, accountability and meaningful change. Henry deserves nothing less.”
Judges rule original term 'unduly lenient'
At his sentencing hearing at Southampton Crown Court in June, Judge William Mousley KC said that on the night of the murder Digwa had a small knife hidden from view called a kirpan, a strict requirement for Sikhs that can be carried in public for religious reasons. Digwa also had a “large dagger in a sheath” 21cm long, as part of the Nihang order of Sikhs, who have a tradition of carrying a second knife.
In their ruling, three senior judges said the 21-year minimum term “did not adequately reflect the overall seriousness of the murder” and “was not only lenient, but unduly so”.
The Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, sitting with Mr Justice Nicklin and Mr Justice Wall, said Judge Mousley's “overall assessment materially understated two distinct dimensions of the offending”.
She said: “First, the circumstances in which a large and immediately available dagger was used repeatedly with an intention to kill an unarmed man; and secondly, the deliberate cruelty, additional suffering and obstruction which followed the stabbing.”
Baroness Carr also said Digwa filming the aftermath of the stabbing represented “incomprehensible cruelty” towards Mr Nowak, who was “unarmed and defenceless”. Digwa, who appeared at the hearing via videolink, also sought to appeal against the length of his sentence, but Baroness Carr said it was “unarguable that (the minimum term) is manifestly excessive”.
Review and reaction to the ruling
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the independent review, led by former lord chancellor Alex Chalk, last month. It will examine Mr Nowak's murder and “any missed opportunities to intervene”. The review is one of several launched since the killing, which sparked unrest when police body-worn video was released showing officers handcuffing Mr Nowak, from Chafford Hundred, Essex, as he lay dying following Digwa's false abuse claims.
Attorney General Ellie Reeves, who referred the case to the Court of Appeal, welcomed the ruling and said: “The brutality and cruelty of this case horrified me, and I know that feeling is shared by the British public.”
She continued: “My thoughts remain with Henry's family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time. No sentence can ever fill the void left by his loss, and I hope this outcome goes some way towards bringing them the justice they deserve.”
The 25-year term will be reduced to reflect the 175 days Digwa spent remanded in custody before he was jailed on June 1, from which date he will now serve at least 24 years and 190 days.
