Mother of Henry Nowak killer jailed for removing knife from murder scene

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Mother of Henry Nowak killer jailed for removing knife from murder sceneImage source, Police handoutImage caption, Vickrum Digwa's mother Kiran Kaur was found guilty of assisting an offenderByCurtis Lancaster, South of England and Dave Gilyeat, South of EnglandPublished17 July 2026, 15:25 BSTUpdated 6 minutes agoThe mother Henry Nowak's killer has been jailed for three years for removing the murder weapon from the scene of the crime. Vickrum Digwa used a 21cm (8in) blade to kill the 18-year-old student, who was walking home from a night out in Southampton on 3 December. He was jailed for life in June with a minimum of 21 years.

Kiran Kaur, 53, of St Denys Road, Southampton, was found guilty at Southampton Crown Court in May of assisting an offender. Judge William Mousley KC told Kaur at her sentencing "a responsible parent would have challenged their son" and have asked their child to "do the right thing". "You took the knife and put it at home with other weapons in your son's bedroom," he told her.

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By putting it among "a larger collection of ceremonial and other weapons" it would have "helped to conceal what it had been used for" because she wanted him "to avoid being caught", the judge said. Image source, Hampshire PoliceImage caption, Vickrum Digwa murdered Southampton university student, Henry Nowak, on 3 December 2025Digwa gave the knife to his mother and it was later found by police at their family home along with more than 20 other weapons. Prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg described her actions as "criminality of the highest order" and her role as "crucial" when it came to removing the knife.

He told the court it was not found by police until seven days after the attack took place. But defence barrister Mark Watson called it a "spontaneous act carried out in a matter of moments" and an "instinctive desire to protect her child". Kelly Newman, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said after the sentencing: "Those who seek to help murderers evade justice should be in no doubt that they too will be held accountable for their actions.

"Image source, Police handoutImage caption, The arrest and handcuffing of Henry Nowak as he lay dying prompted intense scrutiny of police actionsNowak was handcuffed by police as he lay dying at the scene after Digwa lied, claiming he had been racially abused by the teen and had acted in self-defence. He told officers his turban had been knocked off and that he had been injured. Bodycam footage released by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, with the family's permission, showed officers arriving at the scene and speaking to Digwa and others.

Nowak, who is seen on the ground in the video, can be heard saying "I've been stabbed" and "I can't breathe" multiple times. The footage shows officers turning Nowak onto his side and handcuffing his hands behind his back, and after a couple of minutes he becomes unresponsive. An officer proceeds to tell him he is under arrest for assault.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.