Vickrum Digwa, 23, the man convicted of murdering Henry Nowak, has been placed in segregation at HMP Frankland, a Category A prison in Durham, England. Digwa reportedly expressed fears for his safety, specifically referencing the violent death of Soham child killer Ian Huntley, who was attacked and killed at the same facility.
According to reports, Digwa refused to be housed on A-wing, the same wing where Huntley was fatally attacked. He is now spending 23 hours a day alone in his cell, with his only excursions being daily exercise periods, which are conducted under the supervision of four guards. A source indicated that there is already talk about Digwa among the prison population, making his placement on the general wing untenable.
Digwa has reportedly lost several prison privileges, including access to a television, and now only has books and a wind-up radio. The conditions of segregation include limited social interaction and a restricted routine, described as potentially driving an inmate to madness.
Digwa was sentenced last month to a minimum of 21 years in prison for the murder of Henry Nowak. He had falsely told police that he was the victim of a racist attack by Nowak, when in fact he had fatally stabbed the 18-year-old student. Nowak had informed officers that he was unable to breathe and had been stabbed, but police on the scene did not immediately recognize the severity of his injuries and handcuffed him while he was dying.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating two police officers who were called to the scene of Nowak's murder for potential gross misconduct. The case gained significant attention, with accusations that authorities failed to adequately respond to Nowak, who was white, leading to protests.
Digwa's sentence has been referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, with an update pending. Ian Huntley died on March 7 after being attacked with a metal bar at HMP Frankland on February 26. Anthony Russell has been charged with Huntley's murder and is scheduled to appear in court in April.
HMP Frankland houses a number of high-profile and dangerous criminals, including Wayne Couzens, Levi Bellfield, and Michael Adebolajo. The prison has seen several violent incidents, including an alleged attack by Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi on prison officers and a hammer attack by Damien Bendall, who is serving a whole-life tariff for murder. In one of the most disturbing cases, in 2011, two inmates disemboweled another prisoner. Koci Selamaj, jailed for the murder of Sabina Nessa, also attacked a guard with a piece of a smashed toilet bowl.