Henry Nowak's murder case. The appeals court changed the verdict

The tragic incident took place in December last year on the streets of Southampton, in the south of England. Henry Nowak, 18, a student and son of Polish immigrants, was returning home when he was attacked by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa. The perpetrator, a follower of Sikhism, used a traditional kirpan - a curved knife 21 centimeters long, with which he stabbed the victim five times.

After arriving at the scene, the police found Digwa, who claimed that he had been attacked and racially insulted by Nowak. The officers, based on his account, detained the injured Henry and handcuffed him, even though the boy informed them about his injuries. Moments later, the 18-year-old died. The officers' conduct raised serious questions and was the subject of an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

The first verdict is insufficient

In June this year, Southampton Crown Court sentenced Digwa to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 21 years. This decision was criticized by the Deputy Attorney General for England and Wales, who considered it too lenient. At the same time, the defense argued that the punishment was too severe. So the case went to the appellate court.

Ultimately, the court decided that Digwa would be eligible for parole after 25 years. The justification drew attention to the brutality of the attack, the use of a large kirpan and the fact that Digwa, after inflicting the blows, showed "deliberate cruelty" and prevented the man from helping. The court found that the original sentence was not only lenient, but "excessively lenient."

The appeals court emphasized that the use of a large kirpan, repeated blows and the intentional infliction of additional suffering on the victim required more severe treatment of the perpetrator. The judges noted that although the law allows wearing a kirpan for religious reasons, using it against someone is a serious crime.

The kirpan used by Digwa is a ritual knife that followers of Sikhism are allowed to carry in public places for religious reasons. During the trial, it was established that Digwa was wearing both a small kirpan around his neck and a larger one worn around his waist, in accordance with the tradition of the Sikh Nihang group.