Highlights
- Kiran Kaur, 53, was sentenced to three years in prison for assisting an offender.
- She removed the weapon used by her son Vickrum Digwa to kill 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton.
- Digwa is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years for the December 2025 stabbing.
- The case involved claims about the Sikh kirpan, with court ruling that no religious justification applied.
THE mother of a British Sikh man serving a life sentence for fatally stabbing a teenager in south-east England has been jailed for removing the murder weapon used by her son from the scene of the crime.
Kiran Kaur, 53, was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted of assisting an offender at Southampton Crown Court last Friday (17).
The India-born woman was found guilty of taking possession of the weapon her son, Vickrum Digwa, used to kill Henry Nowak in Southampton and helping remove it from the scene to hinder the police investigation.
"Henry Nowak was just 18 years old when he was murdered by Vickrum Digwa, and our thoughts remain with Henry's family and loved ones, who have endured unimaginable loss," said Kelly Newman, senior prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service.
"Digwa lied to police about Henry after carrying out the attack and, in the immediate aftermath, Kiran Kaur chose to help her son by removing the murder weapon in a deliberate attempt to obstruct the investigation and conceal crucial evidence," she said.
"Those who seek to help murderers evade justice should be in no doubt that they too will be held accountable for their actions," Newman added.
Digwa stabbed 18-year-old Nowak to death on December 3, 2025. Last month, the 23-year-old was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years before becoming eligible for parole.
The case drew attention after Digwa argued he had acted in self-defence and claimed the weapon was a kirpan, a ceremonial blade that initiated Sikhs are legally permitted to carry in the UK.
"It is a fundamental principle of Sikhism that any kirpan is worn as a symbol of religious faith and is never carried for an offensive purpose," Justice William Mousley said while sentencing Kaur.
"It is obvious that for its use to be reasonable, any perceived threat justifying it would have to involve circumstances of great seriousness and urgency. You would have been fully aware of that," the judge said.
"A responsible parent would have challenged their son over his actions and encouraged him to do the right thing. Instead, you took the knife home and placed it with a larger collection of ceremonial and other weapons in your son's bedroom," he said.
'Kaur's circumstances improved after moving to the UK'
The judge said Kaur had experienced a difficult life in India before her circumstances improved after her marriage and move to the UK nearly 30 years ago.
"Your actions were, mistakenly, motivated by a desire to protect your son rather than by any personal gain, and you are very unlikely to reoffend," he said.
Under sentencing rules, Kaur could become eligible for Home Detention Curfew next year. If released on licence, she could be recalled to prison if she commits another offence or breaches the conditions of her release.
"Kaur conspired with her son as he sought to smear Henry as racist while he lay dying on the street. Frankly — as an Indian national — she should be deported to serve a very lengthy sentence in her country of origin," Robert Jenrick, a Reform UK MP, said in a social media post.
"But to let her off with house arrest, when it was denied to others, would be an outrage," he added.
Legal proceedings against Digwa's older brother, Gurpreet, and his father, Moga Singh, on charges of aiding and abetting the crime are continuing.
Meanwhile, Digwa's minimum 21-year term is being reviewed by the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
The verdict, delivered by Judge William Mousley at Southampton Crown Court last month, followed a high-profile trial. During the proceedings, British Sikh organisations and parliamentarians said the kirpan had been misrepresented and stressed that no religious protection or justification applied in the case.
The case also led to community tensions in Southampton.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary officers remain under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct over allegations of "two-tier" policing, with claims that one community was treated more favourably than another.
The investigation focuses on police body-worn camera footage of Nowak's final moments, which showed him being handcuffed after Digwa alleged he had made racist remarks. Those allegations were later rejected in court.
(with inputs from PTI)
