Henry Nowak's killer referred to Court of Appeal amid fury over prison sentence

The Court of Appeal will now decide whether the sentence imposed on the murderer has met the requirements to amend the sentence.

Digwa was jailed for life on June 1, with a minimum of 21 years for the murder of the 18-year-old university student last December.

Following uproar in the wake of Digwa's sentencing, several individuals, including Reform UK chief Nigel Farage, referred the sentence to Lord Hermer, the Attorney General, under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

The judges will review whether it is necessary to extend the existing sentence handed to Digwa.

Ms Reeves said: "This case horrified me, and I know that feeling is shared by the British public.

"It is right that difficult questions need to be answered about the way the police handled Henry’s Nowak’s murder, while my role is to review Digwa’s sentence for his crimes.

"After careful consideration, I have taken the decision to refer this case to the Court of Appeal.

"No sentence can ever undo the devastation that Henry’s family have suffered, or fill the void left by his loss. But I hope this referral goes some way towards bringing them the justice they deserve."

Mr Nowak was killed in Southampton last year after Digwa stabbed him with a Sikh ceremonial blade multiple times.

Police were initially called out to the scene where Digwa lied and said he had been racially abused by the teenager.

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Anger erupted after chilling bodycam footage captured Mr Nowak's repeatedly telling officers he had been stabbed and he was unable to breathe before he slipped out of consciousness.

While the student was lying on the floor, one officer responded: "Don't think you have, mate.

The 18-year-old had his hands forced behind his back and locked into handcuffs, lying face down while an officer read him his rights as he died.

As a result, the case spurred on accusations of two-tier policing, including from Mr Farage who said that the case was "proof we live in a two-tier country".

Saying the punishment given to Mr Nowak's murderer was more lenient than a "sustained, aggressive, murderous assault", Mr Farage announced that he would write to the Attorney General, Lord Hermer, to review the sentence, the day after the sentencing.

But, beyond the sentence, the Clacton MP called for a "change in culture" which, he added, was the "most important thing to prevent the destruction of society".

"Enough of anti-white prejudice. A promotion of the idea that white lives matter just as much as black lives. This is serious. This is urgent," the leader declared.

Anyone is able to refer a sentence to be reviewed by the Court of Appeal within 28 days of the sentencing in question.