‘PLAY THE RACE CARD’: Explosive Transcript Reveals Alleged Plot After Henry Nowak Was Sta-bbed Five Times
HENRY Nowak’s killer was encouraged to make up vile racism lies by his brother as the student lay dying in handcuffs, new transcripts reveal.
Vickrum Digwa, 23, knifed 18-year-old Henry Nowak five times in a random street attack as the teen made his way home from a night out.
Vickrum Digwa used a ‘racism trump card’ to spread the ‘wicked lie’ that Henry Nowak had racially abused him by knocking his turban offCredit: Hampshire Police/Solent News & Photo Agency
He spewed ‘wicked lies’ to cops, knowing he had stabbed Henry five timesCredit: Hampshire Police
Henry’s dad Mark told how he would be haunted forever by his son’s murderCredit: PA
Henry, 18, was brutally murdered by lying Digwa in December last yearCredit: Solent
When cops arrived, Digwa accused the teen of making racist remarks – causing officers to place Henry in handcuffs as he lay dying.
Now, the unedited transcript of the trial has been released by research organisation Centre for Justice Policy.
Digwa used a “racism trump card” to spread the “wicked lie” that Henry had racially abused him by knocking his turban off in December 2025.
He was encouraged to do this by his brother Gurpreet.
When he was talking to the police, his sibling jumped in and asked: “Did he racially say anything to you?”
Digwa then says: “Yeah he called me a P***i as well.”
When cops arrived, Digwa accused the teen of making racist remarks – causing officers to place Henry in handcuffs as he lay dyingCredit: PA
Digwa, 23, knifed 18-year-old Henry five timesCredit: Reuters
Prosecutors confronted him in court saying: “Henry Nowak was a drunk, racist who’d attacked a Sikh. That’s what you said, isn’t it, effectively?”,
Digwa agrees: “I did say that, yes.”
“And that’s a pack of lies,” they continued, but Digwa maintained: “It’s not the lies, it’s the truth.”
The killer told cops “he’s not been stabbed” and “he’s pretending”, the court transcripts also showed.
“Weapons obsessed” Digwa repeatedly refused to say why Henry was covered in blood.
The transcript shows him being asked in court: “Do you recall when you cut this man’s face seeing blood?”
“When you cut his face with your sharp knife did you see blood?”
He replied “No” and “I can’t recall”.
Confronted with recordings from the scene, Digwa admitted telling cops: “He’s not been stabbed, I don’t know what he’s talking about,” and “He’s pretending”.
He repeatedly stabbed Henry with a Kirpan-style blade – a curved, single-edged ceremonial sword or dagger that initiated (Amritdhari) Sikhs are required to wear at all times.
Henry pictured with his dad MarkCredit: PA
Digwa’s mother Kiran Kaur, 53, was convicted of assisting an offender after hiding the murder weapon at the family homeCredit: PA
His deceit meant the tragic teen was handcuffed in his dying moments before police eventually discovered his wounds, eight minutes after they arrived.
Bodycam footage shows the teen, with his dying breath, telling cops four times that he had been stabbed – only for one to say “I don’t think you have, mate”.
The teenager died just an hour after the video was taken.
He was even heard in the clip saying “I can’t breathe” as well as “I’ve been stabbed” – but police continued to arrest him.
Medical teams battled to save Henry’s life for almost an hour, before an emergency doctor declared the teen dead at 12.37am.
Digwa was jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years after he was found guilty of murder and carrying a knife in public.
His mother Kiran Kaur, 53, was convicted of assisting an offender after hiding the murder weapon at the family home.
Kaur got three years for hiding the eight-inch blade.
After the verdict, Hampshire Police apologised for arresting Henry and said the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) was investigating.
The case sparked riots on the streets of Southampton, despite his family calling for peace.
Henry’s family gave moving victim impact statements to Southampton Crown Court, with his mum Lucy Ross describing the pain of his death as being “beyond anything I knew existed”.
Henry’s dad Mark told how he would be haunted forever by his son’s murder.
He also branded the way his son was treated as “degrading” and “inhumane” as he added: “Henry did not die with dignity. He did not die with the care he deserved.
“He lost consciousness before anyone believed him.”
Sentencing Digwa, Judge Mousley KC said: “Your actions have stirred up racial tension in Southampton and across the country which have made many Sikhs worried about their own safety even though they have done absolutely nothing wrong.”
The court heard that Henry had died from drowning in his own blood shortly after police arrested him for the “wicked lie” that he had perpetrated the attack.
The judge added: “In addition to killing Henry and the irreparable harm to those close to him, you have also caused real suffering to others who knew him.
“You have brought shame upon your family, your community and your religion.”
Hampshire Police apologised over the case, with Deputy Chief Constable Robert France saying: “I am really sorry that Henry was arrested and handcuffed just before he lost consciousness, it’s essential that we conduct that investigation.
“But officers were attending a complicated and confusing situation, we know there was a delay in them being called, we know there were lies in that 999 call, we know they were lied to as they attended the scene and even as Henry’s condition was deteriorating.
