Henry Nowak's killer Vickrum Digwa has life sentence increased after bid to cut it fails

Henry Nowak’s family say they face a “life sentence of grief” and their “fight for justice is far from over” after his killer’s jail term was increased.

Vickrum Digwa was originally jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years at Southampton Crown Court in June after stabbing Mr Nowak to death in Southampton on 3 December last year.

But on Thursday, judges at the Court of Appeal ruled he should serve a minimum of 25 years.

After stabbing the student, Digwa lied to police that he was the victim of a racist attack.

Attorney General Ellie Reeves referred the case to the Court of Appeal earlier this year, calling the sentence “unduly lenient”.

Digwa, 23, also appealed, arguing it was “manifestly excessive”.

Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, sitting with Mr Justice Nicklin and Mr Justice Wall, said: “A minimum term of 21 years did not adequately reflect the overall seriousness of the murder. It was not only lenient, but unduly so.”