A SIKH accused of murdering a uni student after a night out used claims of racism as a “trump card” to avoid suspicion after stabbing the teen, a court heard.
Jurors were told Vickrum Digwa, 23, had been “training with weapons since he was 12” before in a bloody street attack.
Cops at the scene in Southampton following the alleged murder of Henry Nowak Credit: Solent
Henry Nowak was arrested while he was dying after allegedly being stabbed by a Sikh with a ceremonial blade Credit: Solent
Prosecutors claim Digwa filmed the dying teen as he tried to flee over a fence in , Hants, while leaving a trail of blood and shouting: “I’m going to die.”
Southampton Crown Court heard cops arriving at the scene instead arrested Henry after Digwa allegedly accused him of making racist remarks.
Henry, who studied at the University of Southampton, later died while in handcuffs from his stab wounds.
Digwa denies murder and possession of a bladed article and his mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, also denies assisting an offender.
Henry’s alleged killer claimed he was racially abused by Henry Credit: PA
Vickrum Digwa is currently on trial for Henry’s murder at Southampton Crown Court Credit: Alamy
Prosecutors say Digwa repeatedly stabbed Henry with a Kirpan style blade after the teen had been returning home from a night out on December 3, 2023.
The court heard Digwa stabbed Henry three times in the chest, with wounds up to 8cm deep, and three times in the back.
Nicholas Lobbenberg KC, prosecuting, told jurors Digwa was highly familiar with weapons and “liked” blades.
In his closing speech, Mr Lobbenberg said: “On December 3 at around 11 o’clock Vickrum Digwa chose to be on the streets of Southampton with a 21-centimetre knife.
“He wasn’t at a temple, he had been helping with his brother’s work for .
“This is a man who chooses to in his bedroom with an arsenal of weapons.
“This is a man who likes weapons. You know he searches for them on his phone.
“He describes the murder weapon in loving terms.
“You might think that rather odd, given what he did with that knife on that night.
“Most importantly, he knows how to use weapons. He told you he has been training with weapons since he was 12.”
The prosecutor claimed Digwa lied about the circumstances leading up to the attack and falsely painted Henry as drunk and aggressive.
Mr Lobbenberg said: “The biggest lie, ladies and gentlemen, is why he drew his knife.
“He told you from that witness box, Henry Nowak said he was going to kill me.
“He was going to f*ck me up. We suggest that was never said.
“You can be sure it was never said because why, if it had been said, would you not tell the 999 operator the most important thing as to why you acted?
“He didn’t tell the at the scene who were asking. He didn’t tell his brother when he was saying what happened.
“If this was in the forefront of his mind, seared into his memory, why wouldn’t you tell someone?
“Instead, he didn’t even put the threat to kill in his defence case statement. It came from him for the first time in the witness box.”
Jurors heard prosecutors also accused Digwa of inventing claims that Henry used a racial slur moments before the stabbing.
Mr Lobbenberg said: “We say this, ‘drunk’ is a lie, ‘going to kill me’ is a lie and we say ‘Paki’ is a lie. The consequence and purpose of these lies is significant.
“Why he tells them is he is seeking to hide what he has done. And was his trump card to try to make sure what he had done was lawful.
“We say that was a wicked lie about a dying man and it is a wicked lie about a dead man to you now.”
The prosecutor described Henry as “an unarmed young man with a phone”.
He added: “He had no weapon. Vickrum Digwa chose to use the knife that he was carrying. A knife that he was skilled in the use of and he stabbed him.
“It must have been plain that he had hurt him because he would have seen blood.”
Mr Lobbenberg also told jurors: “This is not a case about Sikhism. This is not a case about racism. This is a case about murder.”
The court heard Digwa’s mother allegedly took the blade from him after the stabbing and hid it at the family home alongside what prosecutors described as “an arsenal of weapons”.
Mr Lobbenberg said Kaur had not given evidence because she couldn’t explain her actions.
He told the jury: “She has no answer to her actions that don’t incriminate her son and her.
“That is why she hasn’t gone in the witness box.
“Anything she says will demonstrate her guilt and her son’s guilt.
“For what reason would she take the knife away unless she needs to take it away before the police come.”
The court heard Sikhs in the UK are legally allowed to carry a Kirpan in public under religious exemption laws.
But prosecutors say Digwa was already wearing a small Kirpan around his neck which fulfilled that obligation, while the larger 21cm “Shastar” blade allegedly used in the killing went far beyond that.
The trial continues.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!
