Defendant in Henry Nowak stabbing case claims he faced racial abuse in court

Trial Over Stabbing Incident Continues

A Sikh man has testified in a British court that he fatally stabbed a teenager after facing racial abuse and having his turban removed.

The case is being heard at Southampton Crown Court concerning the death of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, a British-Polish student. Nowak was reportedly restrained by police shortly after being attacked, which came after he accused the man of racial abuse.

Nowak succumbed to injuries at the scene in Southampton on December 3, 2026, suffering a stab wound to the chest and several other knife wounds. The injury to his chest affected the subclavian vein, leading to significant blood loss.

Vickram Digwa, 23, faces charges of murder and carrying a knife in a public area. His mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, has been charged with helping an offender for allegedly hiding the knife after the incident.

During the court proceedings, Digwa responded to accusations of launching an unprovoked attack on Nowak. Despite the prosecution’s narrative, he insisted that he was the one who was initially attacked. “He looked drunk to me,” Digwa claimed, stating that Nowak had forcibly approached him and recorded the encounter with his phone. Although it was noted that Nowak had consumed alcohol that evening, it was said that he was below the legal limit for driving.

Digwa emphasized that he tried to de-escalate the situation, expressing fear of being attacked. He mentioned prior incidents where members of his community, Sikhs, had been targeted. “I was scared that he’d stab me, so I knew I had to act,” he explained.

He recounted taking Nowak’s phone to halt the recording, asserting that Nowak then attacked him, even going so far as to pull off his turban. Digwa admitted to stabbing Nowak, claiming it was in self-defense but denied the severity of the attack, stating he only recognized it during police questioning.

After the stabbing, family members of Digwa arrived at the scene. The court previously heard that it was Digwa’s brother who called 911, yet did not disclose the stabbing, framing the incident as a racially charged attack. “We faced a racist attack from a white man… who hurt my brother,” the brothers told the police operator.

Additional recordings presented in court included Digwa and his brother accusing Nowak of racism, a claim Nowak denied. As the situation intensified, Digwa was heard dismissing Nowak’s claims, asserting that he was merely drunk. Moreover, Digwa’s father suggested at the scene that Nowak was feigning his injuries.

Investigators linked the knife found at Digwa’s home to the incident. It is said that his mother had brought it there, which is a reason for her charges of assisting in a crime. On the witness stand, she denied any intentional wrongdoing, asserting that she only held the knife briefly during the chaos.

Conversations recorded while Digwa was in custody revealed discussions about the murder charge. His brother urged him to claim self-defense, while Digwa referred to himself as a “fool.” Early evidence also included police bodycam footage capturing the moment officers arrived, with Nowak being restrained and pleading for breath as he stated that he had been stabbed.