By Ahmed Abdelsalam
The family of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old student from Chafford Hundred, Essex, has described as "ludicrous" the decision to allow his killer Vickrum Digwa to appeal against his life sentence, while the killer's mother Kiran Kaur is set to be released from prison early in December.
Killer appeals 21-year minimum term
Digwa, 23, was convicted of murdering Nowak in Southampton on 3 December. He stabbed the teenager five times with an eight-inch blade and later lied to police, claiming Nowak had started the altercation and racially abused him. Digwa received a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years. He is scheduled to appeal against that sentence on Thursday, arguing it is too severe. The Attorney General has also referred the case to the Court of Appeal, contending the sentence was unduly lenient.
Mother hid murder weapon
Kiran Kaur, Digwa's mother, was sentenced to three years in prison in July for assisting an offender after she concealed the knife used in the killing, which still bore Nowak's blood. Nowak's mother, Lucy Ross, told ITV News: "Mother to mother – she is no mother. We all protect our children, but we also protect our children from right and wrong. But she never did the right thing. She hid the knife."
Early release under new sentencing law
Under the Sentencing Act 2026, which took effect on 1 October, most prisoners serving fixed-term sentences of up to two and a half years are automatically released on licence after serving a third of their term, rather than half. Kaur, who has served 221 days on remand, will be freed in December after serving roughly one year of her three-year sentence. The Ministry of Justice confirmed her offence is not excluded from the early release scheme. She will serve the remainder of her sentence in the community under licence conditions and could be recalled to prison for any breach.
Family demands justice reform
Nowak's father, Mark Nowak, called Kaur's impending release an "absolute disgrace," noting she would be free for Christmas while he visits his son's grave. Stepmother Katie Nowak said victims need far more weight in the justice process, adding that throughout the proceedings "it doesn't feel like anyone's on your side." The family urged the government to rethink the early release scheme.
Documentary to air
A documentary titled "Dear Henry: Our Fight for Justice" will air on Thursday 5 November at 9pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV and the ITV News YouTube channel, chronicling the family's campaign.
