A British Sikh man, Vickrum Digwa, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 21 years for killing an 18-year-old student, Henry Nowak, in a case that sparked controversy over racial abuse claims in the UK.
The incident occurred in Southampton on December 3, when Nowak was walking home alone after spending the evening with friends. Digwa, 23, stabbed Nowak with a 21 cm blade, claiming he acted in self-defence after being racially abused.
However, a jury found Digwa guilty of murdering Nowak, and a video from officers' body cameras showed the moments after police arrived at the scene, with Nowak lying on the ground, repeatedly saying, 'I've been stabbed' and 'I can't breathe.'
Judge William Mousley of the Southampton Crown Court said the killing was carried out using a large knife kept in a sheath attached to a belt worn outside Digwa's clothing, and that Nowak asked Digwa whether he was a 'bad man'.
The judge also referred to the Sikh belief that a kirpan, a small ceremonial dagger associated with Sikhism, should 'never be carried for an offensive purpose.'
Addressing concerns raised during the case, the judge said, 'You have brought shame upon your family and your religion,' and that Digwa's actions had stirred up racial tension in Southampton and across the country.
