A man has been convicted of murdering an 18-year-old university student after stabbing him to death with a Sikh kirpan ceremonial knife. Vickrum Digwa, 23, lied to police, telling officers that he was the victim of a racist attack after he stabbed finance student, Henry Nowak, from Chafford Hundred, five times with a 21cm blade in Southampton on December 3. While filming a video, he told his victim “I am a bad man”, before inflicting two stab wounds to the back of Mr Nowak’s legs, and a fatal wound to his heart.
The killer was also convicted of carrying a bladed weapon in public, and his mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, was found guilty of assisting an offender by removing the weapon from the scene. Digwa told the court that Mr Nowak, whom he described as drunk, had racially abused him, before punching him and knocking his turban off. Digwa also said he had stabbed Mr Nowak to the back of his legs in self-defence after Henry had threatened him and grabbed him by the hair.
But he insisted that he did not realise that he had caused the fatal stab wound to his chest, EssexLive reports.
The prosecution said Digwa’s claim that he had suffered a racially aggrivated attack was a “wicked lie”.
He also told officers that he had not knifed Mr Nowak, despite the student’s pleas for help, as he told the police that he was injured.
This led the officers to arrest Mr Nowak, and put him in handcuffs moments before he collapsed and became unconscious.
He then died, despite their efforts to give him first aid.
Tech billionaire, Elon Musk, has offered to fund a private prosecution against the police over the incident, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating its circumstances.
The court heard that Digwa, who had been training with weapons since the age of 12, described the murder weapon in “loving terms”, and that he “sleeps in a bedroom with an arsenal of weapons”.
Nicholas Lobbenberg KC, prosecuting, said that, although Sikhs are permitted in law to carry a kirpan knife, the discrete carrying of a small dagger under clothing was sufficient for the requirements of the religion.
He added that the defendant “chose” to carry two knives, one under his clothing while the large knife which was used in the killing was on display.
Counsel added: “This is a man who likes weapons. He thinks a knife is a suitable wedding present for his brother.”
Judge William Mousley KC adjourned the case for Digwa to be sentenced on June 1 and Kaur on July 17.
