The Sikh killer of Henry Nowak today appeared in court with his brother and father – all charged with possessing an arsenal of weapons including batons, flick knives, machetes, swords and an axe.
Vickrum Digwa, 23, who was jailed for life yesterday for murdering the 18-year-old, has now been charged with owning six offensive weapons at home in Southampton.
These include a flick knife, an extendable baton, knuckledusters, a machete, kusaris, a type of Japanese chain weapon, and swords, a court heard today.
Digwa’s brother, 27-year-old Gurpreet Digwa, and his father, 52-year-old Moga Singh, have also been charged with owning illegal weapons at the family home.
Gurpreet is also accused of having an extendable baton, a kirpan knife and an axe in his car.
Between the three men, they face a total of 22 weapons charges on December 4 last year – the day after Henry Nowak was murdered.
The new charges came amid outrage at bodycam footage of police handcuffing Henry and ignoring his pleas for help – as his Sikh killer maliciously branded him a racist.
Wearing a suit and blue turban, Vickrum Digwa appeared today at Southampton Magistrates’ Court- less than 24 hours after he was jailed for a minimum of 21 years at the city’s Southampton Crown Court next door.
His brother Gurpreet Digwa and father Moga Singh sat at the side of the court during Tuesday’s proceedings while Digwa sat in the dock flanked by two guards.
Gurpreet has also been charged with owning an air gun, flick knife, knuckledusters, a machete, swords, and kusaris at the house.
Moga has been charged with owning a baton, knuckledusters, a flick knife, swords, kusaris, and a machete at the family home.
The men only spoke to confirm their names, addresses and dates of birth.
The next court hearing will take place on a video link on July 9.
Gurpreet and Moga were released on unconditional bail.
Monga Singh, Vickrum Digwa’s father and Gurpreet Digwa, Vickrum’s brother, outside Southampton Magistrates Court today after they were charged with weapons offences
Vickrum Digwa, the killer of Henry Nowak, was today charged with new weapons offences along with his father and brother, allegedly carried out after Henry’s murder
In a 30-second clip, Digwa can be seen performing a ‘Gatka’ with his older brother Gurpreet, right. Both men have been charged with offences along with their father
Vickrum’s mother, Kiran Kaur, awaits sentencing for assisting an offender by taking the knife used to kill the 18-year-old in Southampton back to the nearby family home.
The 53-year-old will be sentenced on July 17.
After Vickrum Digwa falsely claimed Henry had torn off his turban, Hampshire Police officers pulled Mr Nowak along the ground as he begged for help, telling them he had been stabbed and could not breathe.
Despite struggling to speak and being in agony, Henry was then ordered to place his hands in the cuffs.
The killer did not know Mr Nowak but told a ‘wicked lie’ to officers that he had been subjected to racist abuse, punched, and had his turban knocked off.
Today Vickrum’s family apologised to the family of his murder victim Henry Nowak – and for bringing the Sikh Community into ‘disrepute’.
Police bodycam footage shows innocent victim Henry Nowak, 18, being forced into handcuffs by officers after he was stabbed repeatedly by a knife-obsessed Sikh man
Murderer Digwa is seen lying to police as he tells them the teenager ripped off his turban in a racist attack
In a statement issued through Sikh PA, a charity which seeks to represent the Sikh community in the media, the unnamed family members said: ‘The loss of a young life is a grief that no family should ever have to carry. We are deeply sorry for the pain and suffering the Nowak family has had to endure.
‘We love Vickrum. We will continue to love him. That love does not stand in opposition to the sorrow we feel for the Nowak family. Both are real, and both will remain with us for the rest of our lives.
‘We would give anything to turn back time so the path of both Henry and Vickrum never crossed that night. We cannot change what has happened, we just hope that no further pain is caused in its name.
‘We apologise to the Sikh community for our son’s actions which have unfairly brought the community into disrepute.
‘We ask that this tragedy is not used by anyone to inflame division or hostility towards any community.
‘We now ask for privacy as we come to terms with what lies ahead.’
