A 23-year-old man has been found guilty of murdering an 18-year-old student from Essex in a stabbing in Southampton.
Henry Nowak, from Chafford Hundred, died after being attacked in Belmont Road on December 3, 2025.
Vickrum Digwa was convicted of murder after a trial heard he stabbed Mr Nowak five times with a Sikh kirpan ceremonial knife, including a fatal wound to the heart.
He was also found guilty of possessing a knife in a public place.
The court heard the incident was partly captured on video, with Digwa heard telling his victim “I am a bad man” shortly before the attack.
Mr Nowak also suffered stab wounds to the back of his legs.
Digwa told police at the scene that he had been the victim of a racist attack, but prosecutors said this account was a “wicked lie”.
Officers initially treated him as the victim, arresting Mr Nowak, who was handcuffed before collapsing.
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Despite efforts to save him, he later died.
In evidence, Digwa claimed Mr Nowak had been drunk, racially abusive and violent, and said he acted in self-defence.
He told jurors he did not realise he had inflicted the fatal chest wound.
The prosecution rejected this account, saying he had lied to police and denied stabbing Mr Nowak despite clear evidence.
Digwa’s mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, was found guilty of assisting an offender after removing the weapon from the scene.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating the circumstances surrounding the police response.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has also posted on X offering to fund a private prosecution relating to the case.
