Jonathan Polnay KC appeared on behalf of the Attorney General before the Court of Appeal in a review of the sentence imposed on Vickrum Digwa for the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton in December 2025.
The defendant was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years. The Attorney General referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal on the grounds that it was unduly lenient, while the defendant challenged the sentence as manifestly excessive.
On behalf of the Attorney General, Jonathan Polnay KC submitted that the minimum term failed adequately to reflect the seriousness of the offence and the cumulative weight of the aggravating factors, including Digwa's use of a bladed weapon, his abuse of the statutory religious exemption permitting its possession, and his conduct following the attack.
The Court of Appeal concluded that the original sentence was unduly lenient and increased the minimum term by four years, from 21 to 25 years.
The hearing was live-streamed. You can read the BBC's full live coverage of the proceedings here.
The case has been widely reported in the press:
Jonathan Polnay KC