A 23-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to murdering an 18-year-old university student who suffered fatal stab wounds while walking home from a night out with football teammates.
Details of the Incident
Vickrum Singh Digwa faces charges of murder and possession of a knife in public following the death of Henry Nowak on December 4, 2025, in Southampton. The first-year Accountancy and Finance student from Chafford Hundred, Essex, sustained fatal injuries to his chest and leg during an altercation on Belmont Road.
Henry had been celebrating the end of term with friends from Southampton University Football Club and the maths football team Villarrealgorithm CF. An Arsenal supporter and basketball enthusiast, he was described by those who knew him as a kind and gentle soul adored by everyone.
Court Proceedings
Digwa’s mother, Kiran Kaur, 52, also entered a not guilty plea to assisting an offender by allegedly removing a knife from the scene. Both appeared at Southampton Crown Court, where Judge William Mousley KC remanded them in custody. The trial, set for 10 days starting May 13 at the same court, will feature testimony from a pathologist and a Sikhism expert, as noted by prosecutor Neil King.
Family’s Tribute and Campaign
Henry’s godmother portrayed him as a light in any room: “He just lit up a room, a kind, lovely boy. Everyone he met loved him; he was just kind. He was a mama’s boy, and he was proud of that as well. He was just a very soft, gentle soul, and he was just adored by everybody.”
She added that his death has “ripped a hole in the family,” with justice serving as the family’s driving force. “He didn’t deserve – no one deserves this unthinkable heartbreak.”
Henry hailed from a large, loving family known for their kindness. Since the tragedy, relatives have campaigned against knife crime, emphasizing its devastating impact: “We just want people to know how much damage carrying a knife can cause. This has caused such huge repercussions on so many people’s lives.”
