Killer Vickrum Digwa 'had threatened' a worshipper at his local temple months before he stabbed Henry Nowak to death

By OLIVIA CHRISTIE, NEWS REPORTER Published: 21:29, 6 June 2026 | Updated: 21:39, 6 June 2026 The 'weapons-obsessed' killer of Henry Nowak threatened a worshipper at his local temple seven months before the brutal murder, according to reports. Vickrum Digwa, 23, who is serving at least 21 years in prison for the stabbing of the Southampton University student, was also banned from another gurdwara over concerns about his behaviour. In one incident in May last year, a worshipper claimed that a 'hotheaded' Digwa approached him from behind, grabbed his arm, and demanded they talk outside.  The 25-year-old man declined the offer and a community elder had to step in to defuse tensions.  He said the situation was raised with Digwa's parents, who subsequently defended their son, saying 'our kids can do nothing wrong'.  Just months later, the 23-year-old would go on to stab Mr Nowak, 18, to death with a large ceremonial dagger as the student was on his way home from a night out.  He stabbed him six times with the 8in blade, then lied to police at the scene that Mr Nowak had racially abused and physically attacked him. Digwa's false claims meant Mr Nowak was arrested by police and read his rights as he lay dying on the ground, desperately saying that he 'could not breathe'.  Murderer Vickrum Digwa is seen lying to police as he tells them the teenager ripped off his turban in a racist attack  Digwa, 23, is filmed as he brandishes the weapon, believed to be an air pistol, around three years before he murdered Henry Nowak Henry Nowak, 18, was a finance student at the University of Southampton and was described as 'kind and talented' by his family The worshipper, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Times: 'I was in the temple and [he] didn't like the look of me. 'Maybe my beard was cut too short. Maybe I didn't represent the whole look of a baptised Sikh and [he] didn't like it.' The man also claimed that other worshippers at the Gurdwara Guru Tegh Bahadar Sahib in Southampton also felt threatened by Digwa.  He said the killer launched a campaign of 'intimidation, interrogation and bullying' over matters such as whether he liked the way people had tied their turban or not.  Prior to joining Gurdwara Guru Tegh Bahadar, Digwa attended another temple in Southampton - the Gurdwara Khalsa Darbar.  But, he was banned from that place of worship in 2023 after concerns were raised about his behaviour. Meanwhile, footage emerged today of Digwa brandishing a gun in his back garden three years before Mr Nowak's murder.  He can be seen holding what appears to be an air pistol in the footage that was filmed by a neighbour who was startled by the sound of 'loud gunshots' on October 18, 2022. They said: 'We could hear gunshots, we went to look and saw them shooting guns at a wooden board. 'We filed a report to the police, but they told us they couldn't do anything as there had been no reports from other residents. Murderer Digwa lied to police at the scene, telling officers Mr Nowak had not been stabbed and had instead attack him Digwa's mother Kiran Kaur was found guilty of assisting an offender by removing a weapon from the scene of the murder of Henry Nowak 'We would hear a lot of shouting and arguing sometimes, but overall, they were quiet neighbours.' Since Digwa's sentencing, questions have been raised about his obsession with weapons. In court, Nicholas Lobbenberg KC said Digwa was 'skilled with weapons, trained with weapons, sleeps with weapons, searches for weapons on his phone.' Digwa and his family are Nihang Sikhs - a martial sect that prides itself on being skilled in the use of swords, knives and other weapons - but they are only ever supposed to be used defensively. Digwa's older brother Gurpreet, 27, and the boys' father Mogha Singh, 52, have been charged with weapons offences over an arsenal said to be discovered at the family home following Mr Nowak's death. His mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, is due to be sentenced on July 17 for assisting an offender after she took away and tried to hide her son's murder weapon. Hampshire Police has apologised for how Mr Nowak was treated prior to his death.   Deputy Chief Constable Robert France said: 'I am really sorry that Henry was arrested and handcuffed just before he lost consciousness, it's essential that we conduct that investigation. An image issued by the Crown Prosecution Service shows the eight-inch ceremonial dagger used by Digwa 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  'But officers were attending a complicated and confusing situation, we know there was a delay in them being called, we know there were lies in that 999 call, we know they were lied to as they attended the scene and even as Henry's condition was deteriorating. 'Within three minutes of them being with Henry they had recognised the seriousness of his condition and were starting to give him first aid. 'It's that whole picture that I'd ask people to consider.' He added: 'I think it's important people understand that there is an ongoing independent investigation by the Independent Office of Police Complaints, we referred ourselves immediately from the instant. 'We absolutely recognise the importance of transparency and of being able to give Henry's family, his friends, his loved ones and the wider public the answers that they absolutely deserve.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. 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