The Government has referred the sentence of Henry Nowak’s killer to the Court of Appeal under the unduly lenient scheme.
The 18-year-old student was handcuffed by police officers who ignored his pleas that he had been stabbed as he lay dying after his killer, Vickrum Digwa, claimed to have been the victim of a racist attack.
Solicitor General Ellie Reeves said the case ‘horrified’ her after riots tore through Southampton when body worn camera footage of Henry dying was released.
Ms Reeves said: ‘It is now, rightly, for the court to decide whether to increase the sentence.
‘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 so rightly deserve.’
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She added: ‘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.’
The Court of Appeal will now decide whether the sentence imposed was unduly lenient, and whether to increase the life sentence.
Police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct, is reviewing Hampshire Police’s response to the call.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told MPs she expected to see its report within three months.
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