Court of Appeal raises Henry Nowak killer's minimum term to 25 years
The Court of Appeal has increased Vikram Digwa's minimum prison term for murdering Henry Nowak from 21 to 25 years, ruling the original sentence unduly lenient and rejecting his bid to cut it.
How it was covered
- ITV carried 62% of the airtime and concentrated on the family's grief and the mother's early release.
- Channel 5 concentrated on the Court of Appeal result and the family's permanent loss.
- BBC One, BBC Two and Channel 4: not found in tracked broadcasts.
- BBC News and GB News: covered online, not found on air.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
The Court of Appeal has increased the minimum prison term in Vikram Digwa's life sentence for murdering Henry Nowak from 21 to 25 years. The judges ruled that the original sentence was unduly lenient after the government challenged it, and rejected Digwa's own argument that it was too severe.
Henry, an 18-year-old student, was stabbed to death in Southampton on 3 December last year. Digwa used a ceremonial knife that he was allowed to carry for religious reasons, and then falsely told police that Henry had racially abused him. The lie led officers to handcuff Henry as he lay dying. Sky News reported that Digwa was 23 at the time.
The Court of Appeal in London heard two applications: Digwa's bid to reduce his sentence and the Attorney General's argument that it should be increased. The BBC's Dominic Casciani, at the Court of Appeal, said lawyers for the Crown described the case as one that outraged and horrified the collective conscience of the community. Lawyers for Digwa accepted the gravity of the offence but argued that the original judge had gone too far. In a report for Sky News, Phoebe Southworth said Digwa watched the hearing by video link from prison in Durham.
Three senior judges quashed the 21-year minimum term and substituted a minimum term of 25 years. After deducting 175 days Digwa spent in custody on remand, the operative minimum term is 24 years and 190 days, Channel 5 and Sky News reported. ITV reported that Digwa was also refused permission to appeal against the decision.
Channel 5's Natalia Hoekera reported that the judge described Digwa's actions as incomprehensible cruelty to Henry as he lay on the ground dying. BBC News's Duncan Kennedy reported that the judges cited the repeated use of a large and immediately available dagger with intent to kill an unarmed man, and the deliberate cruelty and obstruction that followed the stabbing.
Sky News reported that Digwa filmed Henry on his phone as he lay dying. ITV reported that he filmed himself taunting the student afterwards and that the footage had never been released by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Henry's family welcomed the ruling, saying it was an important step towards justice. They added that no sentence could give Henry his life back. 'We have been given a life sentence of grief,' they said.
Before the hearing, Henry's parents told ITV News that Digwa should not have been allowed to challenge his sentence. 'It just doesn't feel fair to us at all,' they said. ITV's UK editor Paul Brand reported that the family broke down in tears in court, giving a thumbs up as the judgment was delivered. ITV also reported that Digwa's mother, Kiran Kaur, who hid the knife, is due to be released next month under the government's early release scheme after serving one year of a three-year sentence. The family called that an 'absolute disgrace'.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 3 or more of 4 channels | ||||
| Digwa argues that his sentence is too severe. | ||||
| The Court of Appeal heard separate bids by Vikram Digwa to reduce his life sentence and by the government or Crown to increase it as unduly lenient. | Reported by Channel 5 | |||
| The Court of Appeal increased the minimum sentence from 21 years to 25 years. | ||||
| The government argues that the sentence is unduly lenient. | ||||
| Vikram Digwa received a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years for the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak last December. | Reported by BBC One | |||
| A Sikh man named Digwa used a ceremonial knife he was permitted to carry for religious reasons. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by ITV | ||
| Lawyers for the Attorney General argued that Henry Nowak was defenceless and that the knife was used in repeated lethal violence. | Not reported by ITV | |||
| Only on one channel | ||||
| Digwa was denied permission to appeal against the sentence decision. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Digwa's mother, Kiran Kaur, concealed the knife and is due for early release next month after serving one year of a three-year sentence. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Sky News | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Channel 5 led its evening bulletin on the result, and its 17:00 report was the first in this set to give the increased term. Its reporting was tightly focused on the outcome and the family's permanent loss, and it gave the exact operative minimum term after remand. It also carried the judge's phrase about incomprehensible cruelty.
- “But today, a judge decided that sentence was too lenient and raised it to 25 years.”
- “On delivering her ruling, the judge described Digwa's actions as incomprehensible cruelty to Henry Nowak as he lay on the ground dying.”
- “For Henry's family, the loss is permanent.”
BBC ONE West carried a detailed legal account from Dominic Casciani and later a full report from Duncan Kennedy. It explained the Attorney General's aggravating factors and the judges' reasoning, and gave prominent space to the family's statement. It did not cover the separate early release of Digwa's mother.
- “The Court of Appeal has ruled that the jail sentence given to the man who murdered the 18-year-old student Henry Nowak in Southampton last year was unduly lenient and should be increased.”
- “A minimum term of 21 years did not adequately reflect the overall seriousness of the murder. It was not only lenient but unduly so.”
- “we have been given a life sentence of grief.”
ITV1 built its coverage around Paul Brand's exclusive access to Henry's family, including their reaction in court and their anger at Kiran Kaur's early release. It reported the increase to 25 years and the refusal of permission to appeal, while trailing a special documentary. The tone was emotional and victim-focused, with less detail on the legal arguments than BBC or Sky.
- “The man who murdered student Henry Nowak has had his minimum jail sentence increased to 25 years.”
- “It's an absolute disgrace. Let's be honest. How on earth can that be right?”
- “She's lucky enough that she could go and see her boy. I have to go to Henry's grave to go see Henry.”
Sky News gave a clear procedural account from Phoebe Southworth of how Digwa's lie led to Henry being handcuffed. It set out both sides' arguments, noted that Digwa watched from prison in Durham, and gave the exact time he will serve after remand. It was relatively restrained on the family's reaction.
- “It was a horrific murder which sparked protests.”
- “They said the sentence was too lenient and they increased it from 21 years to 25 years.”
- “Taking into account the amount of time that Digwa has already spent in prison, he will now serve 24 years and 190 days.”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.