Newly-released evidence shows that police officers who arrested Henry Nowak took approximately eight minutes to discover his stab wound, according to transcripts of body-worn camera footage. Vickrum Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years on June 1 for the murder of the 18-year-old finance student, after falsely claiming Mr Nowak had racially abused him.
Bodycam Footage Reveals Critical Delay
The three-minute police body-worn video, which sparked outrage, shows Mr Nowak, from Chafford Hundred, Essex, being handcuffed moments before losing consciousness and dying. A longer transcript released by the Crown Prosecution Service and obtained by the BBC discloses the moment officers realized Mr Nowak had been stabbed.
Digwa had told police attending the scene of the stabbing in Southampton in December last year that he was the victim of a racist attack. In the footage, Mr Nowak can be heard repeatedly stating: "I've been stabbed," to which an officer responds: "You've been stabbed? Whereabouts? Don't think you have, mate."
Transcript Details
The officer later says "he's saying he's been stabbed so let's just check him and see," and a female police officer requests an ambulance, describing how Mr Nowak's pupils are not reacting before the video concludes. At three minutes and five seconds, an officer identified as police officer one said: "I'm not sure he's breathing." They proceed to uncuff Mr Nowak and commence CPR.
Police officer one said: "Come on mate. That's it, that's it. Keeping breathing. Come on." According to the time-stamps, between five minutes and 24 seconds and seven minutes and 33 seconds, a female police officer asks for a torch, wanting to make sure Mr Nowak has not been stabbed, and asks for scissors.
Discovery of the Stab Wound
After seven minutes and 33 seconds, the officer cuts his clothing and police officer one asks if he has been stabbed there, with an unseen gesture. The female officer replies: "Yes, he's got a stab... there's a mark there." Police officer one adds: "That makes it worse. He's got a stab... I'm pushing on a f****** stab wound."
The female officer says: "That's okay. It's fine... It's not coming out. It's fine. Keep going. Keep going. It's not bleeding out." Police officer one continues chest compressions and then a paramedic arrives on the scene. Police officer one tells him "we just discovered a stab wound in his chest." The recording ends after eight minutes and 49 seconds.
Police Apology and Context
The footage was released with no objection from Mr Nowak's family, and after consultation with Hampshire Police. Following the case, temporary Deputy Chief Constable Robert France, of Hampshire Constabulary, apologized on behalf of the officers, but said they were "lied to" and would have been unaware of Mr Nowak's injury which he said would not have been obvious.
