A British jury has convicted a man of murder after he falsely claimed his victim had racially abused him, a lie that led police to handcuff the dying teenager as he bled from multiple stab wounds.
Vickrum Digwa, 23, was found guilty Thursday afternoon at Southampton Crown Court in Hampshire, England, for the murder of Henry Nowak, an Anglo-Polish student. The jury of eight women and four men deliberated for approximately one day before reaching their verdict. Digwa was also convicted of carrying a knife in a public place.
The case has drawn significant attention not merely for the brutality of the crime, but for the disturbing circumstances surrounding the victim’s final moments. After stabbing Nowak multiple times on December 3rd, Digwa told responding officers that he had been the victim of racist abuse. Police, accepting this account at face value, handcuffed the wounded Nowak, who spent his last conscious moments attempting to explain that he had been stabbed while officers dismissed his statements as fabrications.
Following the verdict, Hampshire Police issued both a statement welcoming the conviction and an apology for having believed what prosecutors described as Digwa’s “wicked lie.” The force’s immediate acceptance of the racism allegation while disregarding the victim’s account of being stabbed has raised serious questions about police protocols and priorities.
Digwa’s mother, Kiran Kaur, was also convicted of assisting an offender. Prosecutors established that she removed the murder weapon from the scene and concealed it at the family home. According to courtroom observers, Digwa displayed no emotion as the guilty verdict was read, while Kaur appeared visibly upset. Sobs were reportedly heard from the public gallery.
The case has become emblematic of growing concerns in Britain about what critics term “two tier policing,” a phenomenon in which law enforcement appears to apply different standards based on the perceived protected status of those involved. The reflexive belief in Digwa’s racism accusation, coupled with the simultaneous dismissal of Nowak’s truthful account of being stabbed, has intensified these concerns among the British public.
In response to the handling of the case, protesters had scheduled a demonstration for Thursday evening outside Southampton Central Police Station. The protest was organized to address what organizers view as systemic problems in how British police respond to allegations of racism versus other serious crimes.
Judge presiding over the case announced that Digwa will be sentenced on Monday. Kaur’s sentencing has been postponed until July 17th to allow time for the preparation of a pre-sentencing report, a standard procedure in the British judicial system.
The conviction brings a measure of justice for Henry Nowak, though it cannot undo the troubling circumstances of his death. The case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences when law enforcement allows ideological considerations to override basic investigative procedures and the fundamental duty to protect all citizens equally under the law.
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