The murder of 18-year-old Southampton student Henry Nowak has dominated UK headlines, with fresh scrutiny of the police investigation and trial of his killer Vickrum Digwa. Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy broke new ground today by confirming he spoke to US Vice-President JD Vance, telling him his comments blaming the killing on “mass migration” were wrong.

In an interview on Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on Sunday, Lammy said the conversation, which lasted yesterday, was “agreeable but disagreeable”. He stressed that Nowak was “a Brit” and that the case “has got nothing to do with mass migration”. Lammy also revealed he had urged Vance not to tweet in a way that would inflame division, citing the Nowak family’s plea for “common sense” over “division and hatred”.

The justice secretary added that watching the police bodycam footage of Nowak’s arrest – after the student had been repeatedly stabbed – was “deeply traumatic”. It brought back memories of the deaths of George Floyd and Stephen Lawrence, he said. “It was so painful, so harrowing, so horrendous,” Lammy told Phillips. “My heart goes out to that family for the grace and dignity with which they are now having to conduct their lives… in the full lights basically of not just UK attention but now global attention.”

Lammy also confirmed the attorney general is reviewing the life sentence with a minimum of 21 years imposed on Digwa under the “unduly lenient sentence” scheme, following “multiple requests”. He made clear that no one can carry a blade used to harm life, regardless of claims it was religious or ceremonial. “Wherever there is privilege… it can be taken away if it doesn’t command the full confidence of the public,” he said.

A Sunday Times report revealed that Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary planned to issue a statement during the trial criticising online “disinformation” but was warned by the Crown Prosecution Service that any comment could prejudice proceedings. The police wanted to explain their actions but were told to wait until after the verdict.

Elsewhere, three more people were charged with violent disorder following protests in Southampton over Nowak’s death, bringing the total to 14. Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf claimed the police are “institutionally racist”, pointing to the force’s race action plan that instructs officers to prioritise offences against ethnic minorities and not be “colour-blind”.

Speaking on the BBC’s *Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg*, Lammy defended the principle of equal justice while acknowledging disproportionate ethnic minority representation in the criminal justice system. “Context can matter but it cannot eclipse violence,” he said. He rejected claims of “two-tier policing” and said the first duty of government is defence of the nation, while refusing to comment on possible budget trade-offs for defence spending.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly considering cuts to net-zero and transport capital spending to fund a new defence investment plan, which has been delayed amid Cabinet disputes over costs. Lammy confirmed the plan will be published before the NATO summit in Turkey next month.

The Nowak family have repeatedly called for the case to be treated as a tragedy of a young Brit stabbed by a 23-year-old, not a political football over migration. Lammy’s intervention with Vance and his direct defence of the democratic process and victims’ dignity have added a new layer to an already raw national conversation.