Elon Musk has stoked outrage on social media over the Henry Nowak case as police face backlash after arresting the dying 18-year-old amid bogus racism allegations from his Sikh killer. The tech billionaire, 54, has retweeted several posts criticising both Hampshire Police and the press for an alleged lack of coverage regarding Mr Nowak's murder on December 3, 2025.
Murder Conviction and False Allegations
Earlier this week, Vickrum Digwa, 23, was found guilty of murder after stabbing university student Henry Nowak to death with an eight-inch ceremonial knife as he walked home from a night out in Southampton. During a trial at Southampton Crown Court, a video was played to the jury where Digwa could be heard telling his victim, 'I am a bad man', to which Mr Nowak replied: 'Are you a b...', before the footage cut off moments before the fatal attack.
The Sikh killer lied to police, launching false allegations of racism against Mr Nowak, which resulted in police arresting the mortally wounded teenager as he died from his injuries, drowning in his own blood. The 23-year-old murderer also told the court a 'wicked lie' claiming he had acted in self-defence, alleging Mr Nowak had hurled a racist insult, knocked his turban off, and struck him. But his bogus claims were rejected by the jury, who later found him guilty of the unlawful killing of the 'kind, intelligent and talented' 18-year-old Southampton University student.
Political and Public Backlash
Amid furious political backlash from figures like Reform leader Nigel Farage over Mr Nowak's death, Hampshire Police apologised for handcuffing the dying teenager. Deputy Chief Constable Robert France told the Daily Mail: 'This case is an absolute tragedy. I'm sorry that Henry's life couldn't be saved that night, and I'm sorry that he was handcuffed and arrested. He was the victim.'
Similarly, the Crown Prosecution Service has faced political backlash as their decision to drop efforts to prosecute two brothers who were filmed punching a policeman was branded 'disgraceful' and 'completely wrong'. Prosecutors said they would not seek a third trial after two juries were unable to reach verdicts on whether Mohammed Fahir Amaaz and Muhammad Amaad had assaulted PC Zachary Marsden at Manchester Airport on July 23, 2024. Yet the officer could still end up in the dock himself over his attempted arrest of Amaaz, 21.
Musk Offers to Fund Private Prosecution
Musk offered to fund a private prosecution against Hampshire Police after they arrested the dying teen, sparking outrage online. Of Digwa's allegations, Nicholas Lobbenberg KC, prosecuting, told the court that Digwa used racism as a 'trump card' to dupe police into arresting the wrong man during the trial, describing it as a 'wicked lie about a dying man'.
The Southampton university student, in the first term of his accountancy and finance course, collapsed in the street soon after his arrest, dying from his injuries. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is now investigating the circumstances of Mr Nowak's wrongful arrest.
Details of the Incident
The teenager, who had been on a night out with friends from his football team, decided to go home at around 11pm and had 'drunk less than the legal limit to drive'. Jurors were told he was speaking to friends on Snapchat when he came across Digwa, who was 'carrying an extremely large knife in a sheath openly displayed over his clothing'. The killer had trained with weapons since age 12 and was 'skilled' with blades, prosecutors told the court, as it was alleged Digwa stabbed Mr Nowak three times in the front and back during a street confrontation.
Digwa chose to sleep in his bedroom with 'an arsenal of weapons' and was said to have a fixation with them, the court heard. He also spoke of the Kirpan, a type of ceremonial dagger carried by Sikhs with which he allegedly killed Mr Nowak, in 'loving terms'. Sikhs are legally permitted to carry a Kirpan knife in public in the UK under religious exemption laws. Digwa was discovered not only to have a small Kirpan around his neck, fulfilling his religious obligations, but a 'Shastar' blade, much larger at around eight inches long, the court heard.
Describing Digwa as a 'man who likes weapons' and 'searches for them on his phone', Mr Lobbenberg told the court of the killing: 'He wasn't at a temple, he had been helping with his brother's work for Deliveroo.'
Video Evidence and Additional Convictions
A video of the incident was found on Mr Nowak's phone, later discovered in Digwa's pocket. In the video played to the jury, Mr Nowak can be heard saying 'Hello car' and singing to himself before yawning, with the footage then cutting to show Digwa walking away. Mr Nowak is then heard saying: 'Innit bad man, what bad man. You're a bad man, say you're a bad man, go on.' Digwa replied, 'I am a bad man', to which Mr Nowak replied: 'Are you a b…', before the footage cuts off.
Digwa's father and brother went to the scene shortly afterwards, along with his mother, Kiran Kaur, who was captured on video footage taking the knife back to their family home. Kaur was found guilty of assisting an offender and is set to be sentenced on July 17, while her son will be sentenced at Southampton Crown Court this upcoming Monday.
Prosecutor's Closing Remarks
Mr Lobbenberg said there was a stream of lies from Digwa starting from minutes after the incident. He told the court: 'We say this, 'drunk' is a lie, 'going to kill me' is a lie and we say 'P***' is a lie. The consequence and purpose of these lies is significant. Why he tells them is he is seeking to hide what he has done. And racism was his trump card to try to make sure what he had done was lawful. We say that was a wicked lie about a dying man and it is a wicked lie about a dead man to you now.'
Describing Mr Nowak as an 'unarmed young man with a phone', the prosecutor said in his closing speech: 'This is not a case about Sikhism. This is not a case about racism. This is a case about murder.'
Political Reactions
Following the verdict, several politicians criticised the police force for arresting Mr Nowak as he lay dying, with Farage describing it as 'the most shocking example of two-tier policing [he has] ever seen'. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp also criticised the police's actions, saying: 'It is shameful that the police handcuffed Henry as he lay dying, especially as he told them he had been stabbed. The police seemed more interested in cuffing someone accused of making a racist comment than in saving a dying man. They believed his attacker's allegations of racism without critical assessment. Henry's last words were 'I can't breathe.' If he had been an ethnic minority, there would probably be protests and riots by now.'
Reform MP Robert Jenrick has written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood about the case, urging her to ensure the conduct of officers at the scene is fully investigated. 'There are so many questions around this tragic death that require answers,' his letter said. 'So far, this case has been met with stony silence from the Prime Minister and the rest of your colleagues. This is in marked contrast to how they responded to other incidents involving deaths involving the police, both in the UK and abroad. It is high time you found your voices and did the right thing.'
