An independent review is to be carried out into the murder of Henry Nowak, the 18-year-old who died after being arrested in Southampton. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told MPs in the House of Commons this afternoon that the review would investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
Review to examine missed opportunities
Mahmood said the review would investigate what was known about Vickrum Digwa ahead of the murder, including any missed opportunities to intervene, as well as how the Nowak family was treated by the criminal justice system. It may also look into the actions of the police when an ongoing investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct comes to an end.
The Home Secretary said an initial report will be submitted to her within five months. The review will be led by Alex Chalk, the former Conservative justice secretary who lost his seat at the 2024 general election.
Background to the case
In May, Digwa, 23, was convicted of stabbing the student to death in December last year and sentenced to life in prison. The case sparked uproar across the country when it emerged police had arrested and handcuffed Henry in his dying minutes, after Digwa falsely claimed to be the victim of a racist attack. When Henry told officers he had been stabbed, one said: ‘I don’t think you have, mate.’
Henry Nowak was stabbed five times by Digwa with a 21cm blade he claimed he was carrying for Sikh religious reasons. The attacker then lied to police, claiming he was the victim after he was called a ‘P***’ and had his turban knocked off close to his home. His ‘wicked lie’ left the student ‘dying alone, humiliated and handcuffed’ as he lay in a pool of his blood from a fatal 8cm chest wound, prosecution lawyer Nicholas Lobbenberg told the jury at Southampton crown court.
Sentencing and aftermath
In sentencing Digwa, Judge William Mousley said: ‘I am sure that Henry said nothing racist. You are the only person to make that claim and it is completely at odds with his previous character.’
More than a dozen people were arrested following an anti-police protest that erupted into violence shortly after the verdict. The following month, Digwa’s mother Kiran Kaur was sentenced to three years in prison after she was convicted of assisting an offender by removing the knife he had used.
Speaking outside court, Henry’s father Mark Nowak criticised the police who responded to the incident, saying: ‘Henry did not die with dignity. He did not die with the care he deserved. We hold Vickrum Digwa solely and 100% responsible for the brutal murder of our son. But Henry should not have died on the streets of Southampton in police custody. The way he was treated was inhumane and degrading.’
Mahmood said: ‘We must get to the truth of what happened before, during and after that awful night, and we must do everything in our power to ensure no family suffers the same fate. We owe that to Henry and to all who loved him. They deserve answers, and this review will provide them.’
