Mother of Henry Nowak killer jailed for removing knife

The mother of Henry Nowak's killer, Kiran Kaur, has been jailed for three years after removing the murder weapon from the Southampton crime scene. The 53-year-old was convicted of assisting an offender for taking the knife used by her son, Vickrum Digwa, and concealing it at their family home, delaying its recovery by about a week.

Key Takeaways

• Kiran Kaur, 53, received a three-year prison sentence for assisting an offender.
• She removed the knife her son used to murder 18-year-old student Henry Nowak and hid it among other weapons at home.
• Police did not recover the murder weapon until about seven days after the December attack.
• Vickrum Digwa was earlier jailed for life for stabbing Nowak five times in Southampton.
• Prosecutors said her actions hampered the investigation as Digwa falsely claimed self-defence.

What did Kiran Kaur do after the murder?

According to BBC News, Digwa gave the knife to his mother after he stabbed Nowak on 3 December. Kaur took the weapon from the scene and put it at the family home on St Denys Road, Southampton, among a larger collection of ceremonial and other weapons in her son's bedroom.

Judge William Mousley KC said that placement would have helped conceal what the blade had been used for, because she wanted Digwa to avoid being caught. The court heard Digwa used a 21cm (8in) blade in the attack.

Prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg said Kaur's role was crucial in removing the murder weapon as police arrived, and that her actions were "criminality of the highest order." The knife was not found until seven days after the killing.

Why was the mother sentenced to three years?

Kaur was found guilty at Southampton Crown Court in May of assisting an offender. At sentencing, the judge said a responsible parent would have challenged their son and urged him to do the right thing.

He accepted her motive was mistakenly to protect her son rather than for personal gain, and that she was unlikely to reoffend. Still, he said the seriousness of the offending required punishment and deterrence.

Defence barrister Mark Watson described her actions as a spontaneous act and an instinctive desire to protect her child. Kelly Newman of the Crown Prosecution Service said those who help murderers evade justice will also be held accountable.

How does this fit into the Henry Nowak case?

Digwa was jailed for life in June for murdering Nowak, a first-year University of Southampton student from Essex who was walking home after a night out. Nowak was stabbed five times, including a fatal chest wound.

When officers arrived, Digwa falsely claimed racial abuse and self-defence. Nowak was handcuffed as he lay dying—an episode that sparked protests and intense scrutiny of police. Hampshire Police has apologised to the family.

Nowak's family said they remain incredibly disappointed and will keep campaigning for full justice. More coverage of related cases is available in our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries section.