Kiran Kaur, 53, has been sentenced to three years in prison for assisting an offender by removing the murder weapon from the scene where her son, Vickrum Digwa, stabbed 18-year-old student Henry Nowak to death. The sentencing took place at Southampton Crown Court on Tuesday.
Guilty verdict and sentencing
Kaur was found guilty by the same jurors who convicted Digwa of murder and carrying a knife in public following a trial in May. Judge William Mousley KC stated: "A responsible parent would have challenged their son over their actions and encouraged them to do the right thing. Instead, you took the knife home and put it with a larger collection of ceremonial and other weapons in your son's bedroom. That would have helped to conceal what it had been used for."
The judge added that Kaur's actions before and after taking the dagger away "added to your son's pretence that he had done nothing wrong and that he was the victim." The knife was recovered after examination of CCTV and determined by police to be the murder weapon about a week after Nowak was killed.
Impact on the investigation
Prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg KC told the court that Kaur's role was crucial in removing the murder weapon at a time when police were arriving at the scene. He said: "The absence of a weapon at the scene caused by her actions hampered the police attending who were, as your Honour will recall, confronted with a wall of lies. She chose not to disclose what she had done. Absence of that weapon led to Henry dying terrified, alone and disbelieved. Her actions contributed to this."
Kelly Newman of the Crown Prosecution Service said: "Digwa lied to police about Henry after carrying out the senseless act of violence, and in the immediate aftermath Kiran Kaur chose to help her son by removing the murder weapon in a deliberate attempt to obstruct the investigation and hide crucial evidence. Those who seek to help murderers evade justice should be in no doubt that they too will be held accountable for their actions."
Defence arguments
Mark Watson, defending Kaur, described the mother-of-five as a pillar of her family and community, noting her positive good character before the incident, including volunteer work. He urged the judge to hand down a suspended sentence. Kaur, aided by a Punjabi interpreter, dabbed her eyes with tissues during her mitigation.
Background of the murder
Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 20 years for stabbing Nowak five times on 3 December 2025 in Southampton. When police arrived, Digwa falsely claimed Nowak had racially abused him and knocked his turban off, causing officers to arrest and handcuff the student before they saw his fatal injuries. Nowak, from Essex, was studying finance at the University of Southampton and was walking home after a night out with his football team.
On the night of the attack, Digwa was wearing a small kirpan – a ceremonial sword or dagger worn by initiated Sikhs – under his clothing around his neck, but he was also carrying a larger knife which he claimed to be carrying for religious reasons.
Aftermath and riots
The revelation that Nowak had been handcuffed and falsely accused of racism led to violence in Southampton, with at least 25 rioters charged with violent disorder. Hampshire Police have apologised for their actions, which received global attention after being criticised by Elon Musk. The arrest is under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
