Vickrum Digwa, 23, the 23-year-old weapons-obsessed killer who admitted using a 21cm Sikh dagger to stab Southampton studentnry Nowak five times on 3 December 2025, now sits inside the UK’s high-security prison system after being handed a life sentence with a minimum of 21 years at Southampton Crown Court on 1 June 2026.

While the Nowak family plead for justice rather than vengeance, fresh fears are rising that the convicted murderer could become the target of a brutal “prison purge” behind bars. Three former inmates have spoken out, warning that the case’s political fallout and public outrage could turn Digwa’s time in custody into a nightmare of violence and isolation.

The most striking account comes from Francesca Fattore, a former drug dealer who once had an adjoining cell to the UK’s most hated mum inside the notorious HMP Bronzefield — currently the home of baby killer Lucy Letby. Speaking to the media, Fattore said she believes Digwa “will be a huge target because of all the riots.”

“He will be protected though, the prison won’t want another death on their hands. Men are so different to women — they don’t talk, they act. Obviously this is all my opinion, not facts. I think he will either not care at all and have the biggest attitude ever, or I think he will be petrified, definitely no inbetween.”

Fattore’s warning comes amid reports of recent disturbances in prisons, where the high-profile nature of Nowak’s case has already led to social media calls for “prison justice.”

Another ex-inmate, Ricky Killeen, who served time in the infamous ‘Monster Mansion’ HMP Frankland for his part in a machete attack, appeared on his Behind the Bars YouTube channel to discuss Digwa’s future. The reformed criminal said: “But now Digwa has got to face prison inside the system. He’s now got to face up to what could happen to him inside. But he will be going inside of a high-security prison. And he, if he’s not someone who’s already involved in that sort of lifestyle or that world or doesn’t know anybody inside of prison, then he’s in for a shock when he gets inside the high security prison estate. But he might be prone to some prison justice.”

Killeen added that the extreme publicity surrounding the murder and the ongoing national debate over policing and violence make Digwa’s situation even more precarious than that of a typical long-term prisoner.

Officials at the Ministry of Justice and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman have so far refused to comment on any specific risks to Digwa or plans for his transfer. However, sources close to the service insist that high-security inmates convicted of life crimes receive maximum protection, with cell moves, segregation, and constant monitoring standard procedure.

In the weeks since his sentencing, social media has exploded with graphic calls for revenge, echoing the same outrage that has dominated the trial coverage. Meanwhile, the Nowak family have repeatedly urged the public to channel grief into making Britain’s streets safer, not into celebrating violence behind bars.

Whether Digwa emerges bruised, isolated, or defiant remains to be seen. But for now, one thing is clear: the “brute” who ended an 18-year-old’s life may discover that prison offers no escape from the consequences of his actions. (788 words)