Sikh man convicted of murdering 18-year-old British student, Kirpan claim dismissed in ‘self-defence’ News of the World

A Sikh man has been convicted of murdering an 18-year-old university student who was stabbed to death as he returned home from a night out in Southampton, England.Vickrum Digwa, 23, was found guilty at Southampton Crown Court of killing Henry Nowak with a 21cm ceremonial blade on December 3, the BBC reported.Digueva denied murder during the trial, claiming he acted in self-defence after an argument escalated in Belmont Road at around 11.30pm.The court heard the pair passed each other on the pavement and clashed as Nowak returned to his home after a night out.Digwa told jurors the teen appeared to be drunk and later became aggressive during the conversation. He claimed Nowak used racial slurs, punched him and ripped off his hood during the fight.The defendant also claimed he feared Nowak would use kpan against him after grabbing the blade in a sheath worn around his neck.Jurors rejected the defense and found Digueva guilty of murder. He was also convicted of carrying a knife in public.The trial heard Nowak suffered multiple stab wounds and tried to escape by climbing over a fence before collapsing after the attack.Digwa’s mother Kiran Kaur, 53, was also found guilty of being an accessory to an offence, with prosecutors saying she removed the weapon from the scene.There were emotional scenes in the courtroom when the verdict was announced. There were sobs in the public gallery and Nowak’s parents hugged each other as they left the court.Judge William Moseley described the case as “particularly difficult” and thanked the jurors for their “vital service.”