Henry Nowak’s killer Vickrum Digwa 'applies to have murder conviction quashed and sentence reduced'
A Sikh killer who knifed a student to death and got his victim handcuffed as he lay dying by claiming he’d been racially abused has launched a bid to have his conviction quashed.
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Vickrum Digwa, 23, was jailed for life last month with a minimum 21-year term after being convicted of murdering Henry Nowak, 18, following a trial.
The case was later referred to the Court of Appeal by the Solicitor General with a view to increasing the sentence.
It sparked national outrage and accusations of two-tier policing after it emerged police handcuffed the victim as he lay dying and failed to get him prompt medical treatment after he told them he’d been stabbed.
The killer told police that it was Henry who had been the aggressor, claiming the student had racially abused him.
It has now emerged that killer Digwa, who stabbed his victim to death with a Sikh ceremonial dagger, has applied to have his conviction quashed and to have his jail term reduced.
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A Court of Appeal official has confirmed that Digwa's case had previously been referred to them as "unduly lenient".
They added: "This person has also recently lodged an application for leave to appeal conviction and sentence."
The grounds of Digwa’s appeal have not been made clear.
An appeal court judge will now decide if Digwa should be given the opportunity to appeal. If he is, the case will be heard by three judges sitting at the Court of Appeal Criminal Division.
After the sentencing, Henry's dad Mark Nowak said it was "unbearable" to see how his son had been treated by police in comparison with his killer. He went on to say: "We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension."
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously said he 'felt sick' watching footage of police handcuffing Mr Nowak as he lay dying, and that there are 'serious questions' to answer about the case.