On 3 December 2025, 18‑year‑old Henry Nowak was walking home in Southampton after a night out when he was set upon by 23‑year‑old Vickrum Digwa. Digwa stabbed Nowak five times with a 21 cm kirpan – a Sikh ceremonial dagger – inflicting a fatal wound to the chest. Nowak had filmed a heated exchange with Digwa shortly before the attack, but the court later heard that Digwa lied to police about the incident.

Officers arriving at the scene initially believed Digwa’s claim that he had been assaulted, and they handcuffed the wounded Nowak as he lay dying. Only moments later did officers realise the teenager had been stabbed; they removed the cuffs and began CPR, but a pathologist concluded nothing could have saved Nowak from the deep chest wound. Nowak was pronounced dead at the scene in the early hours of 4 December.

Trial and verdict

Digwa’s trial took place at Southampton Crown Court in May 2026. He denied wrongdoing and told jurors he had acted in self‑defence after being racially abused, arguing he only carried the kirpan “as part of his religion”. Prosecutors said this was a “wicked lie” and noted that Digwa had a small kirpan under his clothing (satisfying religious practice) but chose also to display the much larger dagger in public. After a two‑week trial, the jury found Digwa guilty of murder and of carrying a bladed weapon in public; it also convicted his mother, Kiran Kaur (53), of assisting an offender for removing the weapon from the scene. The judge adjourned sentencing until 1 June for Digwa and 17 July for Kaur. (Kaur had lived at the same address in St Deny’s Road, Southampton, but did not give evidence at the trial.)

Political and community response

News of the conviction immediately ignited a political storm. Conservative MP Rupert Lowe demanded that kirpans be banned in public spaces, saying there should be no exception when such a weapon “is used to take a young man’s life”. Former Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick (Reform UK MP) wrote to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood urging a parliamentary debate on what he described as “two‑tier policing” in the case. Locally, Darren Paffey (Labour MP for Southampton Itchen) warned that “carrying a blade in public is dangerous” and that calling it “ceremonial” is no excuse for its deadly use. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp blasted the police response as “shameful,” noting that Henry told officers “I’ve been stabbed” and that his last words were “I can’t breathe” as he lay dying.

Sikh community leaders also spoke out. The Sikh Federation UK – a prominent advocacy group – emphasised that the law protects only “fully practising Sikhs” carrying a kirpan for genuine religious observance, and warned that if the kirpan is used in violence the exemption is lost. Its statement clarified: “If a kirpan or a bladed item is used aggressively in an act of violence the defence under the law…does not apply and it is deemed an offensive weapon.”. The Federation also appealed for calm, saying the killing was “an isolated incident” and condemning abuse and misunderstanding directed at the wider Sikh community.

Police apology and IOPC investigation

Hampshire Police have apologised for the handling of the incident. Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Robert France said the case was “an unspeakable tragedy” and expressed being “deeply sorry” that Nowak – “the victim” – had been handcuffed as he lost consciousness. The force immediately referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which has opened an independent investigation into the officers’ actions. In a public statement the IOPC confirmed it is examining “the contact officers had with Nowak… including the use of handcuffs by officers and the first aid provided”. Notably, tech billionaire Elon Musk took to social media on the day of the verdict, offering to fund a wrongful‑death lawsuit against “these disgusting excuses for law enforcement”, and protesters gathered outside Southampton Central police station demanding release of officers’ body‑camera footage.

Sentencing and wider debate

As the case moves towards sentencing (Digwa on 1 June, Kaur on 17 July), the focus has broadened to the future of the kirpan law. Some commentators and politicians now argue that the exemption allowing Sikhs to carry kirpans in public should be reconsidered. For example, one report noted that the case “ignited political demands to ban carrying the ceremonial dagger in public spaces even for religious reasons.”. Others have called to “review or end the legal exemption that allows practising Sikhs to carry kirpans in the UK.”. The Home Office has not announced any immediate policy change, but the killing of Henry Nowak and the publicity it has generated have ensured that the debate over the kirpan’s place in law will continue in the weeks ahead.