"It was not only lenient, but unduly so."
Vickrum Digwa, who murdered student Henry Nowak, has had his life sentence increased to a minimum of 25 years after his appeal to have it reduced was rejected.
Judges at the Court of Appeal said his original sentence was too lenient.
Digwa was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years at Southampton Crown Court in June after stabbing Mr Nowak to death in Southampton on December 3, 2025.
Digwa had appealed against the sentence, arguing it was “manifestly excessive”.
However, judges at the Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday that the original sentence was “unduly lenient” and increased the minimum term he must serve by four years.
Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, sitting with Mr Justice Nicklin and Mr Justice Wall, said:
“A minimum term of 21 years did not adequately reflect the overall seriousness of the murder. It was not only lenient, but unduly so.”
Digwa watched proceedings via a video link from HMP Frankland in County Durham.
Jonathan Polnay KC, for the Attorney General, previously told the hearing that Digwa had “repeatedly” used the knife against an “unarmed and defenceless stranger”.
He said that the sentence originally handed down “failed adequately to reflect” the aggravating features in the case.
Mr Polnay told judges that Digwa “abused the privilege” allowing Sikhs to carry blades in public and that he “zoomed in on Henry’s face whilst verbally gloating” as he filmed the aftermath of the attack.
After the killing, Digwa attempted to mislead police by claiming he had been the victim of a racist attack.
At his sentencing, Judge William Mousley KC said his attempts to lie to officers and cover up the crime were among several aggravating factors that warranted a longer sentence.
The case sparked widespread anger and protests after police body-worn camera footage emerged showing officers failing to administer first aid to the dying 18-year-old and handcuffing him as he lay on the ground.
Mr Nowak had told officers he could not breathe.
His family’s criticism of the police response has continued, with relatives saying they have been “failed multiple times” following the teenager’s death.
In an interview for ITV Tonight, the family accused police of misleading them, claiming officers gave them changing accounts of their response to the stabbing and initially portrayed Mr Nowak as the aggressor in the incident.
The family have also raised concerns about how the police handled the moments after the attack, as questions continue over the treatment of the teenager in his final moments.
