The father of a student stabbed to death by a knife fanatic has told a court he would trade places with his son 'in a heartbeat.' Mark Nowak was speaking at Southampton Crown Court after Vickrum Digwa, 23, was jailed for 21 years for murdering 18-year-old Henry Nowak in a sustained street attack.
Father's Heartbreaking Testimony
Mark Nowak said he is 'tormented' by the thought of his son's final moments. He told the court: 'I've always been the person who fixes things for my family... In this nightmare I am completely helpless.' He added: 'If I could swap places with Henry... I would do so in a heartbeat. To my dying son, who I love beyond words, I'm so sorry that I let this happen.'
Henry, a finance student, was on his way home from a night out in Southampton, Hampshire, when Digwa stabbed him multiple times on December 3, 2025. Digwa was carrying two traditional Sikh knives, including a 21cm blade used in the attack.
Killer's 'Wicked Lie'
Prosecutors said Digwa spun a 'wicked lie' claiming self-defence after Henry used a racist insult and knocked his turban off. Judge William Mousley KC said: 'You, Vickram Digwa, murdered him. By doing so, you robbed him of all those he loved.' He added: 'You have brought shame upon your family and your religion. Your actions have stirred up racial tension.'
Police handcuffed Henry, unaware of his five stab wounds, even as he said: 'I'm going to die.' The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating.
Family's Grief
Henry's sister Olivia said: 'My brother should not be forever 18, he deserved to grow old and start a family of his own.' Mother Lucy Ross described the pain as 'beyond anything I knew existed.'
Digwa's mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, was found guilty of assisting an offender by hiding the blade and will be sentenced in July.
