The mother of the man convicted of murdering 18-year-old Henry Nowak has been sentenced to three years in prison for removing the knife used in the killing and taking it from the scene.
Kiran Kaur, 53, was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court after being found guilty on May 28 of assisting her son Vickrum Digwa following the December murder. Digwa was previously handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years.
The court heard that Kaur removed the weapon after her son stabbed Nowak. The knife was later found at the family home and identified by police as the murder weapon.
Judge William Mousley KC told Kaur that Nowak had been “a much-loved young man” and that “your son, Vickrum Digwa, murdered him."
He said there had been a “devastating and lifelong impact of Henry's death on the entire family” and told Kaur: “Your sons showed a callous disregard for Henry's wellbeing," he said according to GB News.
The judge said Digwa had told his mother to remove the weapon and that she knew “there could be no justification for him to stab Henry."
“A responsible parent would have challenged their son over their actions and encouraged them to do the right thing,” Judge Mousley said. “Instead, you took the knife home and put it with other weapons in your son's bedroom.”
He added that her actions helped maintain the appearance that Digwa had done nothing wrong.
Prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg KC described Kaur’s actions as “criminality in the highest order,” saying police were faced with “a wall of lies” during the investigation.
“The absence of the weapon led to Henry dying terrified, alone and disbelieved. Her actions contributed to this,” the prosecution said.
Kaur did not give evidence during the trial and used a Punjabi interpreter during sentencing.
Her defence lawyer Mark Watson said she acted after receiving a phone call saying her son had been attacked, describing the incident as a “spontaneous and impulsive act carried out in a matter of moments.”
“She only became involved having had a phone call to say her son had been attacked,” he said, adding she was responding to “a scene of confusion, distress and chaos.”
Following the sentencing, Nowak’s family said they remained “incredibly disappointed” but would continue seeking answers about his death.
Digwa was carrying the knife on December 3 when Nowak was killed while returning home from a gathering with friends from his football team. Judge Mousley said the religious blade “should be worn as a symbol of religious faith never to be carried for an offensive purpose."
Kiran Kaur, 53, was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court after being found guilty on May 28 of assisting her son Vickrum Digwa following the December murder. Digwa was previously handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years.
The court heard that Kaur removed the weapon after her son stabbed Nowak. The knife was later found at the family home and identified by police as the murder weapon.
Judge William Mousley KC told Kaur that Nowak had been “a much-loved young man” and that “your son, Vickrum Digwa, murdered him."
He said there had been a “devastating and lifelong impact of Henry's death on the entire family” and told Kaur: “Your sons showed a callous disregard for Henry's wellbeing," he said according to GB News.
The judge said Digwa had told his mother to remove the weapon and that she knew “there could be no justification for him to stab Henry."
“A responsible parent would have challenged their son over their actions and encouraged them to do the right thing,” Judge Mousley said. “Instead, you took the knife home and put it with other weapons in your son's bedroom.”
He added that her actions helped maintain the appearance that Digwa had done nothing wrong.
Prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg KC described Kaur’s actions as “criminality in the highest order,” saying police were faced with “a wall of lies” during the investigation.
“The absence of the weapon led to Henry dying terrified, alone and disbelieved. Her actions contributed to this,” the prosecution said.
Kaur did not give evidence during the trial and used a Punjabi interpreter during sentencing.
Her defence lawyer Mark Watson said she acted after receiving a phone call saying her son had been attacked, describing the incident as a “spontaneous and impulsive act carried out in a matter of moments.”
“She only became involved having had a phone call to say her son had been attacked,” he said, adding she was responding to “a scene of confusion, distress and chaos.”
Following the sentencing, Nowak’s family said they remained “incredibly disappointed” but would continue seeking answers about his death.
Digwa was carrying the knife on December 3 when Nowak was killed while returning home from a gathering with friends from his football team. Judge Mousley said the religious blade “should be worn as a symbol of religious faith never to be carried for an offensive purpose."
