Court raises Vickrum Digwa’s minimum term to 25 years

The Court of Appeal increased Vickrum Digwa’s minimum term for murdering Henry Nowak from 21 to 25 years on November 5, ruling that the original term was unduly lenient. The three judges also rejected Digwa’s challenge to his sentence, finding it was not manifestly excessive. Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life imprisonment after stabbing 18-year-old Nowak in Southampton. The court said the original minimum term did not adequately reflect the seriousness of the murder, including the use of a dagger against an unarmed man and Digwa’s conduct after the stabbing. The judges said Digwa filmed Nowak as he lay dying, causing additional distress and degradation. They found the sentencing judge’s assessment had materially understated both the circumstances of the stabbing and the deliberate cruelty and obstruction that followed it. Attorney General Ellie Reeves had referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal for review as unduly lenient. Digwa separately sought to have the minimum term reduced, arguing it was excessive. His lawyer said the original sentence had already accounted for the relevant aggravating features, including the filming and use of the knife. The 25-year minimum term...