A transcript obtained by the BBC from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has revealed the moment when Vickrum Digwa confessed to his brother, Gurpreet, that he stabbed 18-year-old Henry Nowak multiple times. The conversation, recorded in the back of a police van, occurred within 36 hours of the murder on December 5, 2025, as the brothers were being driven between a police station and a court for a custody extension hearing.
The transcript, a Punjabi-to-English translation, shows Digwa admitting to the stabbing after his brother asked, "What did you do? Did you even do anything?" Digwa pointed to his shoulder and said: "One here, towards the face and one on the chest." Gurpreet, 27, replied: "You should not have done it. You should have just pushed him or hit him or beaten him up. Why did you use the kirpan?" referring to the 8-inch (21 cm) ceremonial blade used as the murder weapon. Digwa responded: "I am a fool."
Details of the Confession and Trial
Following the murder, Digwa had initially lied to his family and police at the scene in Southampton, claiming he was "racially attacked" and had only "pushed" and "punched" the student in self-defence. However, the transcript, which was referred to during Digwa's murder trial, reveals the true extent of his actions. Many of the brothers' words were marked as "indistinct" in the transcript, and the extracts are reproduced as they appear in that document.
Digwa was sentenced to life in prison for a minimum of 21 years. At the hearing, Judge William Mousley KC told Digwa: "You abused the privilege extended to Sikhs to have a knife in a public place for religious reasons, dishonoured your religion and have now put others at risk of repercussions." He added that Digwa's minimum jail term might have been shorter had he not repeatedly lied to police and instead told them "what you said to your brother in the police van" on December 5.
Impact and Aftermath
Previously released video of Henry Nowak, from Chafford Hundred in Essex, in handcuffs caused national outrage and sparked violent disorder in Southampton after Digwa's sentencing. The case has drawn attention to the use of the kirpan, a ceremonial blade that has been disputed by many Sikhs, as a murder weapon.
