'Unduly lenient' sentence for Henry Nowak's murderer referred to Court of Appeal

The sentence of Vickrum Digwa for the murder of Henry Nowak has been referred to the Court of Appeal by a "horrified" solicitor general for being "unduly lenient".

Digwa was handed 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.

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The case sparked outrage and violent protests amid claims the police had disbelieved Mr Nowak when he told them he had been stabbed, because he was white.

Solicitor General Ellie Reeves KC applied for the prison term given to 23-year-old 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."

A June 2 protest involving 1,000 people started outside Southampton Central Police Station before hundreds moved on to the Portswood area where Mr Nowak had been killed and where the violence began.

So far, 23 people have been charged over the protest, with 13 people having been jailed so far.

Sir Keir Starmer said he "felt sick" when he watched the bodycam footage of the moments before Mr Nowak's death.

The prime minister said: "I found it really hard. It was harrowing."

(c) Sky News 2026: 'Unduly lenient' sentence for Henry Nowak's murderer referred to Court of Appeal