Vickrum Digwa’s life sentence for the d#ath of 18-year-old university student Henry Nowak is heading back before the Court of Appeal, where judges could ultimately leave his 21-year minimum term unchanged, reduce it or increase it.
Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life imprisonment in June after being convicted of mu#dering Nowak in Southampton on December 3, 2025. The judge set a minimum term of 21 years before Digwa could be considered for release.
Digwa has now been granted permission to challenge the length of his sentence, arguing that the minimum term is too severe. His separate attempt to appeal his mu#der conviction is being considered independently.
At the same time, the Attorney General’s Office has referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. The government argues that the 21-year minimum may be too low and is asking the court to consider whether it should be increased.
That means the upcoming hearing is unusual because judges will hear arguments pointing in opposite directions. Digwa is seeking a reduction, while the government is seeking an increase.
The original sentencing decision took several factors into account. Judge William Mousley KC identified aggravating circumstances that initially raised the minimum term to 23 years, before mitigating factors including Digwa’s age, previous clean record and the lack of premeditation reduced it to 21 years.
The Court of Appeal hearing is scheduled for November 5, 2026. Until judges consider both challenges, there is no certainty that Digwa’s current 21-year minimum will remain in place.
Separately, Digwa is also seeking permission to challenge his conviction itself. That application has not been decided as part of the sentence appeal.
The case therefore enters another significant legal stage, with the Court of Appeal set to consider whether the sentence imposed on Digwa was too severe, too lenient, or appropriate as it stands.
Source: ITV News, The Guardian, ᴀssociated Press, The Independent, Judiciary of England and Wales
