The sentence given to the man who fatally stabbed Henry Nowak has been referred to the Court of Appeal.
Solicitor General Ellie Reeves KC applied for the jail term given to 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa to be reconsidered under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
She said: “This case horrified me, and I know that feeling is shared by the British public. It is right that difficult questions need to be answered about the way the police handled Henry’s Nowak’s murder, while my role is to review Digwa’s sentence for his crimes.
“After careful consideration, I have taken the decision to refer this case to the Court of Appeal.
“No sentence can ever undo the devastation that Henry’s family have suffered, or fill the void left by his loss. But I hope this referral goes some way towards bringing them the justice they deserve.”
Digwa was given a life sentence with a minimum of 21 years in prison for stabbing Mr Nowak with a ceremonial knife with a 21cm blade, that he claimed he carried as part of his Sikh religion.
He had previously been investigated by police in 2023 on suspicion of stealing ceremonial blades from a Sikh temple in Southampton but no further action was taken.
Digwa falsely accused Mr Nowak of launching a racist attack, which led to the 18-year-old student being handcuffed as he lay dying from stab wounds.
The case sparked outrage amid claims that the police had disbelieved Mr Nowak when he said he had been stabbed, because he was white.
