Henry Nowak Murder: A Timeline of the Tragic Events

Despite Henry Nowak’s repeated assertions to authorities that he had been stabbed, police initially handcuffed him after his murderer, Vickrum Digwa, falsely alleged that Nowak had subjected him to racial abuse. Nowak, an 18-year-old student in the early stages of his first year at university, lost his life on December 3 while walking back to his accommodation in Southampton. Digwa has since received a life sentence with a minimum tariff of 21 years.

The following account details the sequence of events on that fateful night, drawing from bodycam and CCTV evidence, a transcript of the emergency call, and the presiding judge’s sentencing comments.

The Night’s Timeline

At 20:30 GMT, CCTV recorded Nowak entering a lift at his university halls. He was dressed in a white shirt, tie, and quarter-zip fleece, carrying a bottle. After checking his appearance in the lift’s mirror, he exited into the corridor. Subsequent footage showed him visiting a convenience store to purchase a drink before heading to The Hobbit pub in Southampton.

Inside the pub, bouncers verified his identification at the entrance. Interior cameras captured Nowak descending the stairs, passing a group in the beer garden, before returning upstairs to exit onto the street. By 23:07, he was filmed making his way back toward his accommodation. The video showed him walking past a group on a streetlamp-lit road, eventually breaking into a jog as the clip ended.

The Fatal Encounter

During the sentencing hearing on Monday, Judge William Mousley KC outlined the geography of the meeting. Nowak’s route took him north along Belmont Road, toward the junction with St Denys Road—where Digwa resided. At the same time, Digwa, 23, was traveling south along Belmont Road, resulting in what the judge termed a "chance meeting."

Judge Mousley clarified that Nowak was unarmed, alone, and sober; his blood alcohol concentration was recorded below the legal driving limit. In contrast, Digwa was equipped with a knife in a belt sheath. According to the judge, this was a kirpan, which is a mandatory article for practicing Sikhs. Digwa also carried a second, larger dagger in a sheath, associated with his membership in the Nihang order of Sikhs, though wearing this second blade is not obligatory.

The judge noted that Nowak, likely noticing the dagger, asked Digwa if he was a "bad man." Digwa responded in the affirmative and seized the student’s phone. The judge observed that the precise moments following this confrontation were witnessed only by the two men. However, he reasoned it was "unreasonable to conclude" that Nowak would not have attempted to retrieve his phone, believing it had been stolen or that he had been robbed.

The Stabbing and Aftermath

In the ensuing struggle, Digwa drew the larger dagger and deliberately stabbed the defenseless student in the chest. Judge Mousley revealed that Nowak was stabbed four times, including two wounds to the upper leg. The judge emphasized that at least one of these injuries was instantly debilitating, as Nowak never managed to raise his hands to protect himself from further harm.

Footage captured by Digwa depicted Nowak’s desperate attempts to escape, including climbing a fence, balancing on a communal bin, and falling onto a car parked outside a neighboring property. The judge condemned Digwa for continuing to film the victim’s suffering, ignoring Nowak’s evident distress.

The False Emergency Call

Less than 30 minutes after the CCTV showed Nowak walking home, Digwa’s brother, Gurpreet Digwa, dialed 999 at approximately 23:30. In the call, he claimed that Vickrum had been "physically attacked by someone racially" and provided the location, setting the stage for the initial police response that mistakenly treated Nowak as a perpetrator.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-03 20:34:47 UTC