Southampton Mother Sentenced for Hiding Son’s Murder Weapon
Kiran Kaur Receives Three-Year Term for Removing Knife After Henry Nowak Killing
Traveloasisspot.com – Kiran Kaur, the mother of convicted murderer Vickrum Digwa, has been handed a three-year prison sentence for her role in concealing evidence following a fatal stabbing. The 53-year-old woman was found guilty of assisting an offender after she removed the knife used by her son to kill Henry Nowak from the scene of the crime on December 3, 2025.
Southampton Crown Court heard how Kaur took the weapon back to the family residence on St Denys Road shortly after the incident occurred. Her actions were deemed crucial in helping Digwa avoid detection during the critical hours following the attack on the 18-year-old finance student.
The trial, which concluded in May, resulted in convictions for both mother and son. Jurors found Digwa guilty of murder and carrying a knife in public, while Kaur was convicted of assisting an offender. On June 1, Digwa received a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years for the killing of Nowak, who had been a first-year university student at the time of his death.
Concealing Evidence to Protect Her Son
During sentencing proceedings, Judge William Mousley KC outlined how Kaur’s decision to remove the weapon was motivated by a desire to protect her son rather than any personal benefit. The judge noted that a responsible parent would have confronted Digwa about his actions and encouraged him to take responsibility.
“A responsible parent would have challenged their son over their actions and encourage them to do the right thing,” Judge Mousley stated.
Instead of confronting her son, Kaur retrieved the knife and placed it among a collection of ceremonial weapons stored in Digwa’s bedroom. This action, according to the court, helped conceal the true purpose of the blade and supported Digwa’s false narrative that he was the victim of an unprovoked attack.
“Instead you took the knife home and put it with a larger collection of ceremonial and other weapons in your son’s bedroom. That would have helped to conceal what it had been used for. This is because you wanted him to avoid being caught,” the judge explained.
Impact on the Investigation and Henry Nowak’s Final Moments
The prosecution emphasized that Kaur’s intervention occurred at a pivotal moment when police were arriving at the scene. Her removal of the weapon created significant complications for investigators who were already dealing with Digwa’s false claims of racial abuse.
Prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg KC told the court that the absence of the murder weapon hampered police efforts and contributed to a situation where Henry Nowak died terrified and alone. The prosecutor noted that the missing weapon meant that Nowak’s final moments were marked by disbelief from those around him.
“The absence of weapon at the scene caused by her actions hampered the police attending who were, as your Honour will recall, were confronted with a wall of lies. She chose not to disclose what she had done. Absence of that weapon led to Henry dying terrified, alone and disbelieved, her actions contributed to this.”
CCTV footage eventually revealed the location of the knife, which police identified as the murder weapon approximately one week after the stabbing. The blade was still contained within its sheath and had not been cleaned or destroyed.
Defense Arguments and Judicial Response
Defending barrister Mark Watson characterized Kaur’s actions as spontaneous rather than premeditated. He argued that she became involved only after receiving a phone call informing her that her son had been attacked, while she was preparing for bed. Watson emphasized that Kaur was equally misled by Digwa’s version of events.
The defense highlighted that the weapon remained intact and that Kaur’s offending arose from a moment of panic and human frailty. Watson described the mother-of-five as a pillar of both her family and local community, pointing to her volunteer work and positive character references prior to the incident.
However, Judge Mousley rejected the argument for leniency, noting that by the time Digwa asked his mother to remove the weapon, she knew or believed that he had stabbed Henry. The judge pointed out that even if Kaur believed her son had been racially abused, there could be no justification for the stabbing, particularly given that Digwa sustained no significant injuries.
“Even if you might have believed that your son had been racially abused and assaulted, you knew there could be no justification for him to have stabbed Henry. Your son had no significant injury,” Judge Mousley concluded.
Devastating Impact on the Nowak Family
In his sentencing remarks, the judge described the profound and lasting impact of Henry Nowak’s death on his family. He characterized the young man as much-loved, kind, hard-working, and ambitious, with a bright future ahead of him and deep devotion to his family.
Kaur appeared emotional throughout the proceedings, with a Punjabi interpreter assisting her. She dried her eyes with tissues during her mitigation and has spent more than seven months in custody since her initial arrest. Members of her family attended the hearing, offering support from the public gallery.
While acknowledging that Kaur is unlikely to reoffend and that her actions were motivated by maternal protection rather than personal gain, Judge Mousley emphasized the need for deterrence. He stated that the seriousness of her offending required punishment to discourage others from similar behavior in the future.
Kelly Newman of the Crown Prosecution Service commented following the sentence, noting that Digwa had lied to police about Henry’s death, compounding the tragedy for the grieving family.
