UK Sikh man stabbed 18-year-old university student to death with an eight-inch ceremonial knife after claiming he'd been racially abused - 'He didn't seek help for the man he had injured with his sizeable knife, instead he accused him of being a racist and being drunk.'

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A university student died after being repeatedly stabbed by a man armed with a Sikh ceremonial sword, a court heard.

Finance student Henry Nowak, 18, was on his way home from a night out when he was allegedly attacked by stranger Vikrum Digwa, 23, with the eight inch 'Shastar' blade.

Digwa was caught on camera saying 'I am a bad man' before the fatal attack, jurors were told.

He is now on trial accused of murder alongside his mother Kiran Kaur, 53, who is accused of assisting an offender.

Prosecutors said she went to the scene before running home with the knife to stash it among an 'arsenal of weapons' there. They both deny the charges.

Southampton Crown Court heard Mr Nowak was in his first term studying accountancy and finance at Southampton University when he went for a night out in the city on December 3, 2023 with friends from his football team.

The teenager went home at around 11pm and having 'drunk less than the legal limit to drive'.

Jurors were told he was speaking to friends on Snapchat when he came across Digwa.

After he was stabbed Mr Nowak tried to climb a fence to escape but Digwa was 'aggressively pursuing' him, leaving a trail of blood, the court heard.

Police were called to the scene but arrested Mr Nowak after Digwa claimed he had been racially abused.

Mr Nowak was then handcuffed before passing out and dying in the street a short time later.

Prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg KC said: 'Put simply, Henry drowned in his own blood with his lung having been cut by the knife going eight centimetres into him.

'Vickrum Digwa raises the defence of self defence. He persisted that Henry perpetrated a drunken racist attack. He says he doesn't recall exactly how the fatal wound came to be inflicted.'


Henry Nowak, 18, a finance student who was described as 'kind and talented' by his family

Opening the case on Thursday, Mr Lobbenberg told jurors that Mr Nowak's phone had captured the moment he met Digwa.

'Vikrum Digwa was carrying an extremely large knife in a sheath openly displayed over his clothing,' he told them.

'At half-past midnight that night, Henry Nowak was dead, he had been fatally stabbed by Vikrum Digwa using that knife, the knife that Vikrum Digwa has chosen to carry out on to the street.

'The killing wasn't seen by anyone other than Henry Nowak and Vikrum Digwa, the neighbours heard the aftermath as Henry Nowak complained that he had been stabbed and that he was dying, tragically was right on both counts.

'After he had been stabbed, Henry Nowak climbed on to a bin and over a fence to try and escape but he had already been fatally wounded and there was a blood trail on the street which demonstrates that he must have been stabbed before he climbed on to the bin and over the fence.

'Vikrum Digwa chose to aggressively pursue him.'

The prosecutor said a video of the incident was found on Mr Nowak's phone which was discovered in Digwa's pocket.

In the video, played to the jury, Mr Nowak can be heard saying 'Hello car' and singing to himself before yawning, with the footage then cutting to show Digwa walking away from him.

Mr Nowak is then heard saying: 'Innit bad man, what bad man. You're a bad man, say you're a bad man, go on.'

Digwa replied: 'I am a bad man' to which Mr Nowak replied: 'Are you a b…', before the footage cuts off.

Mr Lobbenberg said the defendant's father and brother went to the scene shortly afterwards along with his mother, who was captured on video footage taking the knife back to their family home.

The prosecutor said at the scene Digwa denied stabbing Mr Nowak and instead claimed he had been 'racially abused and attacked by a drunken man'.

Mr Lobbenberg said: 'He didn't seek help for the man he had injured with his sizeable knife, instead he accused him of being a racist and being drunk.'

He said police initially handcuffed Mr Nowak but started giving him first aid when he collapsed.

Mr Lobbenberg: 'Vikrum said he had not been stabbed. This was a lie. This was a man Vikrum Digwa stabbed more than once.

'Henry Nowak fell unconscious and police tried to give first aid.

'A doctor was flown in by helicopter but there was nothing that could be done to save Henry and he was pronounced dead at 12.37 on the street.'

He suffered four stab wounds including two in the back of his legs and one in his lung.

Analysis of the knife found blood and fatty tissue matched to Mr Nowak and hairs from Digwa as well as DNA from Kaur were on the sheath.

In the UK Sikhs are legally permitted to carry a Kirpan knife in public as it is protected under religious exemption laws.

However Digwa was found to have a small Kirpan around his neck that fulfilled his religious obligation and the 'Shastar' blade he carried on him was much larger - around eight inches [21 cm]the court heard.

The prosecutor said: 'Sikhism obliges male followers of the faith to carry and wear certain items, these include a wooden comb, a metal bangle and what is called a kirpan, a ceremonial knife.

'That small kirpan satisfies any religious obligation a Sikh may have to carry a blade and Mr Vikrum Digwa was carrying that under his clothing and around his neck.'

He added: 'Mr Digwa was choosing to carry on the streets of Southampton a very large 21cm bladed knife.'

The court heard that following his arrest Digwa and his brother were transported in a police van and their conversation was recorded.

Mr Lobbenberg said: 'The two chose to talk to each other presuming they couldn't be heard. He told his brother he stabbed Henry three times. He didn't mention any racism or self defence.'

Addressing Kaur's charge, he said: 'Kaur is the mum of the defendant. She came to the scene when her husband and sons were there.

'Her son asked her to take his Shastar, which is the large knife. This was captured on phone footage which was being shot so it could be heard.

'It was stashed among an arsenal of weapons at the home. Analysis of the blade showed it had blood and fatty tissue on it. DNA showed it belonged to Henry. Hair belonging to Vikrum Digwa was found on the knife.'

Digwa's barrister said he was acting in the 'heat of the moment' in self-defence.

Jeremy Wainwright KC, for Digwa, delivered a short statement to jurors after the prosecution outlined the case.

Mr Wainwright KC said: 'Was Vickrum Digwa carrying a knife or carrying, for legitimate religious purposes, a Kirpan dagger for religious reasons.

'These are usually from two to nine inches. This blade is eight inches so can still be considered legitimate.

'Who started this incident? Was it Henry Nowak saying things to Mr Digwa or Mr Digwa saying things to him.

'The prosecution say there was categorically not a racially motivated attack by Mr Nowak but have they made you sure of that with evidence?

'Was there a deliberate intention by Vickrum Digwa to inflict really serious harm or kill when he used his Kirpan or was he acting in the heat of the moment in self defence?

'You will be shocked and upset when you see the state of Henry Nowak and when you hear what's shouted at what is tragically a dying man.

'But did Digwa and his brother at the time realise they were dealing with a dying man, or was their anger generated by someone who was drunk, who had racially attacked them and they weren't aware of the extent of those injuries?'

Following Henry's death, his family have campaigned to raise awareness about the impact of knives, saying: 'We just want people to know how much damage carrying a knife can cause.

'This has caused such huge repercussions on so many people's lives.'

The trial continues.