Family of murdered student Henry Nowak says they are ‘deeply disappointed’ after killer’s mother is jailed for removing murder weapon
The family of murdered University of Southampton student Henry Nowak has spoken of their disappointment following the sentencing of the mother of his killer, saying their fight for justice is far from over.
Kiran Kaur, 53, was sentenced to three years in prison at Southampton Crown Court after being convicted of assisting an offender by removing the knife used in the fatal attack on Henry from the crime scene.
Although the family acknowledged the court’s decision, they said they had hoped for a different outcome and vowed to continue campaigning for answers surrounding the case.
In a statement released after the hearing, Henry’s relatives said they remained committed to ensuring every aspect of the investigation is fully examined.
“While we accept today’s sentencing decision, nonetheless we remain incredibly disappointed,” the family said.
They added that their campaign would continue until they believed the full truth surrounding Henry’s death had been uncovered.
“Our focus is on making sure the ongoing investigations leave no stone unturned as we fight for the full truth about what happened last December,” the statement continued.
The family also renewed calls for changes they believe could help prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Kaur was found guilty by a jury in May after prosecutors argued she played a critical role in helping her son dispose of crucial evidence immediately after the fatal stabbing on December 3, 2025.
She had already spent more than seven months in custody before sentencing.
Her son, Vickrum Digwa, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years in June after being convicted of murdering 18-year-old Henry Nowak, who was studying finance at the University of Southampton.
During the murder trial, prosecutors rejected Digwa’s claim that Henry had racially abused him, and the jury ultimately found him guilty.
At Kaur’s sentencing hearing, prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg KC described her actions as having seriously obstructed the early stages of the murder investigation.
He told the court that police officers arriving at the scene were already confronted with misleading accounts of what had happened, and the removal of the knife further complicated their efforts to establish the truth.
According to the prosecution, investigators were only able to recover the weapon after reviewing CCTV footage, identifying it as the murder weapon approximately one week after Henry’s death.
Lobbenberg argued that Kaur’s decision to remove the knife significantly hampered the investigation at a crucial moment.
Addressing the court, Judge William Mousley KC criticized Kaur’s actions, saying a responsible parent should have encouraged her son to face the consequences of his actions rather than helping conceal evidence.
Instead, the judge said, she took the knife back to the family home and placed it among a collection of ceremonial and other weapons kept in her son’s bedroom.
The judge concluded that the purpose of removing the weapon was to reduce the likelihood of Digwa being caught by police.
The sentencing marks another significant chapter in a case that has attracted widespread public attention since Henry’s death.
For Henry’s family, however, the court’s decision does not represent the end of their search for justice.
They say their campaign will continue as they seek further answers through ongoing investigations and continue urging the government to introduce reforms they believe would honor Henry’s memory.
While the criminal proceedings against both Digwa and his mother have now concluded, Henry’s relatives insist their determination to uncover the full circumstances surrounding the case remains as strong as ever.
