Henry Nowak was an 18-year-old British-Polish student in his first year studying accountancy at the University of Southampton. He grew up in Chafford Hundred, Essex. Friends and teammates described him as someone who loved football and was fully embracing university life.
On the evening of 3 December 2025, before 11:30 pm, Nowak was walking in the area of Belmont Road in the Portswood suburb of Southampton. He had been drinking at the Hobbit Pub but was under the drink-drive limit.
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Nowak began filming Vickrum Digwa. Video recovered from his phone captured him saying “Hello car” and singing to himself before yawning, while Digwa walked away from him.
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Digwa was filmed by Nowak telling him “I am a bad man” moments before the attack.
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The stabbing
Digwa, a 23-year-old British Sikh man, cut and stabbed Nowak a total of five times with a dagger. The attack included two stab wounds to the back of Nowak’s legs and a fatal wound to his heart. The blade measured 21cm.
Digwa was carrying two ceremonial knives at the time of the murder: a smaller one known as a kirpan under his clothing, and a larger Sikh dagger, which was used as the murder weapon.
The police response
Officers were led to the scene by Digwa’s brother. On arrival, they encountered Digwa, who claimed to have been injured, while Nowak was being held against a wall by Digwa’s father.
When police officers from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary arrived, Digwa accused Nowak of assault, and officers handcuffed Nowak.
Nowak told an officer he had been stabbed. The officer replied: “I don’t think you have mate,” before placing him in handcuffs. Officers subsequently reassessed the situation and began providing emergency medical treatment.
Nowak repeatedly told the officers that he couldn’t breathe and pleaded for help. He died shortly after being handcuffed.
Nowak’s father said that Digwa was not handcuffed at the scene and may never have been handcuffed at all.
Digwa’s defence
Digwa alleged that Nowak had earlier threatened him with racist remarks and then began recording him. In his account, after being taunted, he grabbed Nowak’s phone and a fight broke out, during which Nowak said “I’m going to kill you.” Digwa said he acted in self-defence.
Defence barristers told the jury they had to consider whether Digwa had acted “in the heat of the moment.”
Prosecutors agreed that Digwa’s allegations of physical and racial abuse were baseless and fabricated. The video footage recovered from Nowak’s phone showed Digwa walking away, contradicting the claim that Nowak had been the aggressor.
His mother’s role
Digwa testified that his mother and father arrived at the scene and took the knife back to their home. His mother, Kiran Kaur, aged 53, was found guilty of assisting an offender by removing the weapon from the scene. Kaur’s sentencing was scheduled for 17 July 2026.
The trial and verdict
The jury convicted Digwa of murder on 28 May 2026. The judge rejected Digwa’s accusations that Nowak had physically or racially abused him. Digwa was also convicted of carrying a bladed weapon in public.
The court described Nowak as a young man with a bright future who was unarmed and defenceless during the attack. The judge also criticised Digwa for involving his mother after the stabbing.
Digwa received a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years.
The police investigation
On 2 June 2026, Hampshire Police released body-worn camera footage showing the officers’ arrival, their interactions with Digwa and Nowak, and Nowak’s death after being handcuffed.
The IOPC stated that its independent investigation into the contact officers had with Nowak, including the use of handcuffs and the first aid provided, began following a mandatory referral from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary received the same day as his death. As of June 2026, that investigation remains ongoing.
The IOPC confirmed it is reviewing a large amount of body-worn footage alongside other evidence obtained during the murder trial. The officers involved are currently being treated as witnesses.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary previously apologised to Nowak’s family for aspects of the initial response and said lessons had been identified.
Political and public response
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the murder as an “awful, shocking case” and welcomed the IOPC investigation.
Nowak’s father said that while he held only Digwa responsible for the murder, the way his son was treated by police was “inhumane and degrading.”
Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones described the case as a “national tragedy” and said there were “serious concerns about police impartiality, fairness and judgement” that must be addressed.
The family called for full transparency surrounding the police response and urged the Home Secretary to ensure the IOPC has the resources and independence required to complete its investigation.
The Home Secretary gave an oral statement to the House of Commons on 2 June 2026 in response to the case.
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