Incident Overview
An 18-year-old student, Henry Nowak, who was handcuffed while dying after being stabbed, told police officers "I can't breathe" nine times, according to his father.
The individual convicted of killing Southampton university student Henry Nowak is 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa. Digwa falsely informed police at the scene of the December 2025 stabbing that he was the victim of a racist attack.
On Monday, Digwa was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years for stabbing Mr Nowak with a 21cm (8in) blade. Digwa claimed he carried the blade as part of his Sikh faith and used it to stab Nowak.
Family Response and Police Apology
Mr Nowak's family described the police treatment of Henry as "inhumane and degrading." The police force has issued an apology regarding their conduct.
The attorney general's office has received multiple requests to review Digwa's sentence under the unduly lenient sentence (ULS) scheme and is currently considering the case.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed that an investigation into the police force's actions remains ongoing.
Details from the Trial and Bodycam Footage
The trial revealed that Digwa lied to police, falsely claiming to be the victim and alleging racist abuse.
Bodycam footage released by the police, with permission from the family, shows Nowak, who sustained two stab wounds on the back of his legs and a fatal wound to his heart, pleading "I've been stabbed" while being handcuffed.
In the footage, a police officer arriving at the scene asks,
"What's your name, mate?"
Mr Nowak, lying on his back, faintly replies,
"Henry."
Digwa then enters the frame, claiming that Mr Nowak had removed his turban and grabbed him by the hair.
The officer asks Digwa,
"Are you injured?"
Digwa responds,
"Yeah, yeah, I've got a swollen eye here, a little bruise here."
The officers then turn to Nowak, who is heard grunting and repeating,
"I've been stabbed"
and then,
"I can't breathe"
while being made to sit up for handcuffing.
The officer asks,
"You've been stabbed, whereabouts?"
before adding,
"Don't think you have, mate."
While handcuffed, Nowak repeats,
"I can't breathe"
three more times.
The officer says,
"He says he's been stabbed, so let's just check him"
and briefly lifts Nowak's shirt around the belt area before Nowak is left lying on his side.
A female officer asks,
"Where do you think he's been stabbed? In the face?"
to which a male voice replies,
"He hasn't been stabbed."
Nowak, appearing unresponsive, is then informed he is being arrested for assault.
Political Reactions
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage expressed strong condemnation of Nowak's treatment, stating that people should respond with "pure cold rage."
In a statement, he said,
"Henry's family have responded to this in just the most extraordinarily dignified way"
and added,
"This is wrong. All the values and standards of living in a free country where everybody is judged equally before the law have been trashed and thrown away."
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticized Mr Farage for deepening divisions and emphasized that police should treat everyone equally regardless of race.
Legal and Official Responses
A spokesman for the attorney general stated,
"We have received multiple requests for Vickrum Digwa's sentence to be considered under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.
The law officers have 28 days from sentencing to carefully consider the case and make a decision."
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones described Nowak's death as a "national tragedy."
Ms Jones, a Conservative politician, said she had written to the prime minister calling for an "urgent review on the carrying of bladed articles for religious and ceremonial purposes."
The Home Office has been approached for comment, and a ministerial statement is expected later.
Ongoing Investigation
The officers who responded to the murder scene are currently being treated as witnesses by the IOPC.
IOPC director Derrick Campbell said,
"We acknowledge that this case has raised questions about the actions of the attending officers and we are aware that a few minutes of police body-worn footage has been issued by the force following the conclusion of criminal proceedings.
As part of our ongoing investigation we are reviewing a large amount of police body-worn footage, which we need to consider in context with other evidence we have obtained, including reviewing material presented during the murder trial, as we establish the full circumstances."
