Henry Nowak’s killer found guilty. Now Hampshire Police face questions too

Vickrum Digwa has been convicted of murder and Hampshire Police have apologised. But as public anger grows, the biggest questions are now about the police response – and Keir Starmer's silence

By Gary Chappell

TODAY, Thursday May 28, 2026, one would hope the grieving family of Henry Nowak are a step closer to getting some closure following the murder of their son.

His killer, Vickrum Digwa, has been found guilty of murder. Digwa’s mother, Kiran Kaur, has been found guilty of assisting an offender.

But that step – one which in perhaps any other circumstances would be huge – remains only small. Because the huge question remains: Why did Hampshire Police ignore Henry’s desperate pleas for help, his repeated statements that he had been stabbed and instead simply restrain him in handcuffs as he lay dying on a cold Southampton street that December night?

Hampshire Police have now apologised to Henry’s family following mounting public outrage over the response at the scene.

But that is nowhere near enough. Henry is dead. No apology will bring him back.

The details that emerged during the trial shocked people far beyond Southampton.

The court heard Henry repeatedly said: “I’ve been stabbed.”

One officer reportedly replied: “I don’t think you have, mate.”

Henry was then handcuffed after Digwa allegedly accused him of racial abuse and claimed his turban had been pulled off.

Only later, after Henry collapsed, did officers begin emergency first aid.

By then, it was too late.

The prosecution said Henry died after effectively drowning in his own blood from a fatal chest wound inflicted by a 21cm blade. Jurors also heard he suffered stab wounds to the backs of his legs as he attempted to escape by climbing a fence.

The case exploded online because millions of people looked at those facts and instinctively arrived at the same uncomfortable conclusion:

Had the allegation of racism not been made, would police have treated Henry differently?

That question now hangs over Hampshire Police whether they like it or not.

Gross negligence? And then some, perhaps.

The reaction to Henry Nowak’s death has exposed something much bigger simmering beneath the surface of modern Britain.

A growing feeling that some victims matter more publicly than others.

That some incidents receive immediate political outrage, Cobra meetings and wall-to-wall media attention, while others are met largely with silence.

As News Uncut has already written:

Keir Starmer reacted rapidly to George Floyd.

He reacted rapidly to Golders Green.

He repeatedly condemned “far-right thuggery” after Southport.

Yet even now – today, the day Henry’s killer was found guilty of murder – the Prime Minister has not publicly said one work about it.

Imagine, if you will, had this case involved a white man stabbing a young Sikh teenager to death. What would Starmer have said?

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What Hampshire Police said

Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Robert France:

“First and foremost, this is an unspeakable tragedy and I cannot begin to imagine what Henry's family have suffered.

I am deeply sorry that Henry could not be saved. I am deeply sorry that in the moments he lost consciousness, he had been handcuffed and arrested.

The facts heard in court should leave no doubt in anyone's mind who was lying to officers that night and why we didn't immediately understand what had happened.
During the 999 call, when officers first arrived at the scene – and even when Henry's condition was deteriorating quickly – his killer continued to divert the blame, obstruct our enquiries and never admit the serious harm which had been done.

I understand that there are many questions about what happened that night. In those moments, the officers who attended didn’t have all the information we have today.

The attending officers sought to take control of a complex situation. Based on what they had been told, they placed Henry in handcuffs.

My officers responded swiftly to a situation which was confusing and unclear and within minutes were giving him first aid and trying to save his life.

The following day, we referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, who have been conducting an independent investigation into our response. We are committed to acting on their findings.

Henry Nowak was an 18-year-old who had his whole future in front of him. That future has been cut short through a senseless attack. Today, the person who was responsible for killing Henry has rightly been convicted of his murder.”

This line: “the officers who attended didn’t have all the information we have today”… What more information was needed than than a dying teenager fighting for his life on the street having been stabbed six times?

Is the priority for police claims of racism above all else?

Reform MP Robert Jenrick is one of the few politicians to have spoken about the case and he said:

“Henry’s death constituted a national scandal. An 18 year old, robbed of his future on a night out in Southampton after being brutally stabbed six times with a 21cm long ceremonial sword. Instead of helping him, the police initially arrested him as he bled to death after he was accused by his attacker of racial harassment. Henry was treated not as the victim, but as the criminal.

His murder could not have been more monstrous; the police response more shameful.

So why has this appalling injustice been met with a collective shrug by politicians in Westminster? With the exception of a couple of us including Henry’s local MP, Jen Craft, it has not been raised in the House of Commons.

I asked the Home Secretary to launch an investigation into the police’s conduct and a debate on two-tier policing - needless to say I was rebuffed.

The silence can be explained by the fact that most politicians are more interested in showing their supposed virtue by favouring minority communities at the expense of the majority. So they look away at injustices perpetrated by minorities, lest it colour the multicultural illusion they have that the country is a harmonious melting pot. And they ignore prejudiced laws and the conventions of so-called ‘anti-racism’ which lead to discrimination against the majority.

The trial of Henry’s killer, Vickrum Digwa, may be over, but the questions are only just beginning.

Why did the police arrest Henry based on one allegation he had made a racial slur - something the prosecution described as a “wicked lie”?

Why was Henry’s handcuffing and arrest considered a priority for the police when he was in a critical condition?

Why do perceived racial sensitivities consistently appear to shape how the police enforce the law these days?

The police have now apologised. But ‘sorry’ doesn’t cut it. Not remotely. Heads must roll for such a catastrophic failure. The bodycam footage must be released. And the police’s “anti-racist” training programmes need overhaul.

We can’t go back in time and undo what has been done. Henry’s family and friends will live with this forever.

But his tragic death should be a turning point. A clarion call for the authorities to act in a colour-blind way - treating people under the principle of equality before the law.”

As News Uncut has written previously, red ribbons still line gates on the approach to the school attended by Henry Nowak, above. They were placed there for his funeral procession in January.

He had only finished his A Levels there a few months before embarking on an exciting new chapter of his life at Southampton University.

Less than six months later, that life was snatched away by a man who carried bladed weapons under religious exemption laws and who the jury concluded lied to protect no one other than himself.

His life may have been taken, but we can be sure Henry Nowak’s light will never be extinguished.

Since their tragic loss, the family have been supported by an incredible charity called: 2Wish, who help families deal with the sudden loss of a child.