The Court of Appeal has increased the minimum prison term imposed on the man who murdered Southampton student Henry Novak, ruling that the original sentence was unduly lenient.
Bikram Digwar, who was convicted of murdering the 18-year-old and sentenced to life imprisonment earlier this year, will now serve a minimum of 25 years in prison before he can be considered for release. The previous minimum term of 21 years was overturned following a challenge by the Attorney General.
The appeal judges heard that Digwar had used a large dagger to repeatedly stab an unarmed Henry Novak with the intention to kill. Following the attack, Digwar falsely claimed that Mr Novak had racially abused him. Investigators established that allegation was untrue.
In a strongly worded ruling, the court highlighted a series of aggravating factors, including the use of a readily available weapon, the repeated nature of the attack, the deliberate cruelty involved and Digwar’s conduct in the aftermath of the killing. Judges concluded that the original sentence failed to reflect the seriousness of the crime.
Delivering their judgment, the Court of Appeal found that a minimum term of 21 years was “not only lenient, but unduly so”, and increased the punishment accordingly.
The decision has been welcomed by Henry Novak’s family, who have endured almost a year of unimaginable grief since his death. In a statement, they said the ruling represented “an important step towards justice” but acknowledged that no sentence would ever compensate for the loss of their son.
“We have been given the life sentence of grief,” they said.
The tragic case has once again shone a spotlight on the devastating impact of knife crime on families and communities across the country. While Southampton continues to come to terms with Henry’s death, police forces nationwide are intensifying efforts to prevent similar tragedies.
In the West Midlands, significant work is underway to tackle knife crime through enforcement, prevention and early intervention programmes led by West Midlands Police and Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster. The region has invested in initiatives designed to divert young people away from violence, support vulnerable communities and target those carrying or supplying knives. Schools, youth organisations and local authorities have also been brought together as part of a coordinated approach aimed at reducing serious youth violence and preventing lives being lost to knife crime.
Supporters of those programmes argue that while robust sentencing remains an important part of the justice system, the long-term challenge lies in preventing young people from becoming victims or perpetrators in the first place.
For Henry Novak’s family, however, the focus remains on the young life that was taken far too soon. The Court of Appeal’s ruling may provide a measure of reassurance that justice has been strengthened, but it cannot undo the profound loss left by a senseless act of violence.
Their message remains a powerful reminder of the human cost behind every knife crime statistic: a family forever changed, a future stolen, and a grief sentence that lasts a lifetime.
