Kiran Kaur, the mother of Vickrum Digwa, has been sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted of assisting an offender. She took the dagger used by her son to fatally stab 18-year-old student Henry Nowak and hid it from the crime scene.
Digwa was previously jailed for life for the unprovoked murder of Nowak in December of last year. The sentencing of Kaur at Southampton Crown Court followed her conviction alongside her son for their respective roles in the events and subsequent attempts to obstruct justice. The court heard that Kaur played a "crucial role" in the cover-up.
Judge William Mousley KC stated that a responsible parent would have encouraged their son to "do the right thing," but Kaur instead took the weapon home and concealed it among a collection of weapons in her son's bedroom. This action, the judge noted, would have aided in obscuring the dagger's use in the crime.
Nowak was on his way home after a night out when he encountered Digwa. A brief altercation occurred, during which Digwa used the dagger, which he carried in accordance with his Sikh faith, to stab Nowak once in the chest and three times in the leg and abdomen. Nowak also sustained a slash wound to his face.
Following the attack, Digwa, with his brother Gurpreet arriving shortly after, filmed Nowak as he attempted to move away. Digwa later provided a false account to police, claiming Nowak was the aggressor and had made racist remarks and knocked off his turban. Hampshire Police officers placed handcuffs on the mortally wounded Nowak, despite his pleas that he could not breathe and had been stabbed. An investigation into potential gross misconduct is ongoing for two officers involved.
Kaur and Nowak's father, Moga Singh, arrived at the scene, and Digwa instructed his mother to take the dagger. Nowak died at the scene before emergency services could provide aid. Later, Digwa was secretly recorded speaking to his brother Gurpreet, agreeing to claim self-defense despite previously admitting to the stabbing. He also indicated that the presence of cameras would hinder such a defense.
In June, Digwa was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 21 years before parole eligibility. The judge described Nowak as a "much-loved, kind, hard-working and ambitious young man" and noted that Digwa's actions brought shame upon his family, community, and religion, exacerbating racial tensions and causing concern among Sikhs.
Earlier this month, Digwa, Gurpreet Digwa, and Moga Singh appeared in court on weapons charges related to items allegedly found at their home. The trial for these charges is scheduled for September of next year. Digwa denied owning numerous weapons, including knives, batons, and swords.