Vickrum Digwa, the 23-year-old convicted of murdering 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton in 2025, is being held in segregation at HMP Frankland after refusing to move onto a prison wing over fears he could be killed. According to reports, Digwa refused relocation to A-wing after learning it was where Ian Huntley was fatally attacked earlier this year.
Segregation conditions at HMP Frankland
Digwa is reportedly spending up to 23 hours a day alone in his cell at the County Durham prison, known as “Monster Mansion” due to its high-profile inmates. He only leaves under close escort by four prison officers for daily exercise and has lost access to normal prison privileges, including television. A source told The Express: "He is there because he is terrified and refused to locate to a wing. He was told he was going on to A-wing and he knew it was where Huntley was killed — and said 'No'."
The source added: "He said he could not be kept safely on there, which is accurate as there is already talk about him around the prison. They cannot make him go on to the wing and he could be in ‘seg’ for a very long time."
Harsh regime in segregation unit
Conditions in the segregation unit are described as extremely harsh. The source told The Sun: "It is really grim. Inmates are given a really small wind-up radio and you can read books and that’s about it. You get taken out for an hour at the same time as three other cons but, even then, the exercise yard is split into four and you cannot mix. And he has to have all the prison-issue food in his cell, which is pretty grim. Most inmates on seg end up pacing around their cell or shouting out of the window. It is the sort of regime that will drive you mad."
Background of the case
Digwa is serving a life sentence for killing Henry Nowak, who was stabbed to death in Southampton in 2025. He falsely claimed he had been the victim of a racist attack as the teenager lay dying. He was previously held at HMP Winchester before being transferred to Frankland, which also houses other notorious offenders, including Manchester Arena bomber Hashem Abedi and quadruple killer Damien Bendall. A Prison Service spokesperson said it cannot comment on individual prisoners.
