Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old university student from Essex, was stabbed to death by an Indian man in December 2025 in Southampton, United Kingdom.
The trial for the crime recently began, generating strong controversy after gruesome details about the attack and the behavior of the authorities came to light.
Nowak was fatally stabbed on December 3, 2025, while returning home after a night out. After the attack, the assailant, Vickrum Digwa, a naturalized British Indian, labeled him as racist and drunk, leading the police who arrived at the scene to handcuff him before understanding the severity of the situation.
Henry Nowak.
The details of the case
According to what was presented before the Southampton Crown Court, Nowak was walking along Belmont Road while sending videos to his friends via Snapchat after a night out. In that context, he was intercepted by Vickrum Digwa, 23, who is accused of murder.
One of the most shocking elements of the case is the weapon used: a 21-centimeter blade shastar knife, described by the prosecution as "extremely large" for this type of crime.
Prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg indicated that the accused was carrying it “in plain sight over his clothing,” raising serious questions about how he could move around armed without being detected.
The severity of the attack was also reflected in the forensic evidence. The autopsy confirmed that Nowak received four stab wounds. Furthermore, the court heard that after being mortally wounded, the young man managed to say that he had been stabbed and that he was dying, before attempting to escape by jumping over a fence.
Henry Nowak.
Rather than stopping, the prosecution claims that Digwa "chose to aggressively pursue him". Meanwhile, a video captured moments before the attack shows the killer saying: "I am a bad man".
However, one of the most controversial aspects of the case is what happened after the police arrived. According to prosecutor Lobbenberg, the assailant not only did not attempt to assist the victim but also “accused him of being racist and drunk.” With that initial version, the officers handcuffed Nowak while he was dying.
“Shortly after, Henry lost consciousness, then the police began to provide first aid and called an ambulance,” explained the prosecutor. Despite medical intervention, his life could not be saved, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Anti-immigration protester.
The killer's mother
The case adds other compromising elements. The court heard that Nowak's phone was found in Digwa's pocket after the attack. Additionally, his mother, Kiran Kaur, a 53-year-old Indian immigrant, is accused of concealment for allegedly having removed the knife from the crime scene and transferred it to her home, where it was later recovered.
Digwa faces charges of murder and carrying a weapon in public, although he denies committing the crime. According to his version, he acted in self-defense after receiving alleged "racist insults", a claim that contrasts with the reconstruction of events.
The trial continues, as the case generates strong outrage due to the brutality of the attack, the use of a large weapon, and the initial circumstances that led to the victim being treated as a suspect in the early moments of the police intervention.
