Vickrum Digwa, 23, confessed to his brother Gurpreet Digwa, 27, in the back of a police van that he stabbed university student Henry Nowak, according to transcripts released today. The conversation, originally in Punjabi and now translated into English, reveals Digwa calling himself a 'fool' and an 'idiot' for using a kirpan, a Sikh ceremonial knife, instead of just beating up the victim.
Details of the confession
Gurpreet told his brother: 'You defended yourself or acted in self-defence. You should have hit him or beaten him up. Why did you use Kirpan?' Digwa replied: 'I am a fool – idiot.' Earlier, Gurpreet asked what Digwa did to Nowak. Digwa motioned to his chest and said: 'One here (pointing towards the shoulder), towards the face and one on the chest. He was 18 years of age.'
Prayer and legal planning
Gurpreet then recited an almost three-minute-long Ardaas, a traditional Sikh prayer, ending with: 'We have not done anything wrong, God, please have mercy on us and protect us. Save all of us from here and get us home safely. Bless us with happiness. Bless Gurpreet Singh, Vickrum Singh, Kiran Kaur.' The brothers also discussed how they would describe the murder weapon during legal proceedings.
Background of the case
Digwa, Gurpreet, and their father Moga Singh, 52, have been charged with weapons possession offences. They have denied the charges and are scheduled for trial in September 2027. At Southampton Crown Court, the murder trial heard that Digwa kept an arsenal of Sikh knives in his shared bedroom. Digwa, trained in weapons from a young age, used a kirpan to stab Henry Nowak, a finance student, five times as he walked home from a night out. The fatal wound was an 8cm deep chest injury.
Previous lies and arrest
Initially, Digwa lied to police, claiming he was 'racially attacked.' When officers arrived, they handcuffed the dying Henry, who was still alive. Digwa even filmed Henry trying to escape by jumping over a fence, leaving a blood trail. Henry died approximately 57 minutes after being handcuffed. Digwa's mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, was found guilty of assisting an offender for taking the blade from her son and hiding it at home. She is scheduled for sentencing tomorrow.
