A 23-year-old man who brutally stabbed an 18-year-old university student to death before filming him as he lay dying has had his minimum prison term increased by four years following a Court of Appeal ruling.
Vickrum Digwa, of St Denys, Southampton, will now serve a minimum of 25 years in prison after the Court of Appeal ruled that his original sentence for murdering Henry Nowak was unduly lenient. The decision, delivered on November 5, 2026, followed a referral by Attorney General Ellie Reeves KC MP under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme.
The court heard that the fatal attack happened on the evening of December 3, 2025, when Digwa, who was carrying a large Sikh dagger concealed in a sheath over his clothing, encountered Nowak as the teenager was walking home. Nowak, an 18-year-old first-year student at the University of Southampton, had no previous connection with his attacker, and the pair were complete strangers.
Following a brief interaction, Digwa launched a vicious assault, stabbing Nowak in the chest before repeatedly striking him in the legs and abdomen. The attack left the young student fatally wounded.
In an especially disturbing development, Digwa filmed Nowak as he attempted to escape and continued recording as he lay dying. The court also heard that, after the killing, Digwa instructed his mother to remove the murder weapon and repeatedly lied to police officers who arrived at the scene.
The devastating consequences of the murder were also highlighted through a Victim Impact Statement delivered on behalf of Nowak’s father, who described the profound grief and lasting emotional devastation suffered by the family following the loss of their son at just 18 years old.
Digwa was originally sentenced at Southampton Crown Court on June 1, 2026, where he received life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years for murder and possession of a bladed article. However, Attorney General Ellie Reeves subsequently referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal, arguing that it was unduly lenient.
Following its review, the Court of Appeal agreed to increase the minimum term by four years, raising it from 21 to 25 years.
Welcoming the decision, Attorney General Ellie Reeves KC MP condemned the brutality of the killing and said the outcome reflected the seriousness of the crime.
“The brutality and cruelty of this case horrified me, and I know that feeling is shared by the British public,” she said.
She added that her thoughts remained with Henry’s family and loved ones, acknowledging that no prison sentence could compensate for the loss they had suffered.
“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,” Reeves said.
The increased sentence marks a significant development in the case, ensuring Digwa must serve an additional four years before becoming eligible for consideration for release on parole. As with all life sentences, the minimum term represents the period that must be served before parole eligibility; it does not guarantee release once that period has expired