UK police handcuff dying student after killer's false racism claim, sparking national outrage and inquiry

The fatal encounter

Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old finance student, was fatally stabbed by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa in Southampton in December 2025 after a night out with his football team. When police arrived at the scene, Digwa lied repeatedly, claiming he had been the victim of a racist attack. Body-worn camera footage released on Monday after Digwa's sentencing shows officers accepting this account and handcuffing the mortally wounded Nowak rather than administering aid.

In the footage, Nowak can be heard saying 'I can't breathe' and telling officers he had been stabbed. One officer replies: 'Don't think you have, mate.' Moments later, the student collapsed and became unconscious. According to the sentencing judge, Nowak was handcuffed for about a minute before officers realised the severity of his injuries and began first aid.

The killer's deception

Digwa used a ceremonial knife with a 21-centimetre blade, which prosecutors identified as a kirpan carried as part of his Sikh religion. He had previously been investigated by police in 2023 on suspicion of stealing ceremonial blades from a Sikh temple in Southampton, though no further action was taken. On Monday, Digwa was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years.

Nowak's father Mark described the police treatment of his son as 'shocking', calling it 'inhumane and degrading'. He added: 'His murderer, however, was afforded decency. He was believed.' The family gave permission for the bodycam footage to be released and explicitly asked that the case not be used to target particular communities.

Political firestorm

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the footage was 'harrowing' and that he 'felt sick watching it', adding there are 'serious questions for the police to answer'. He emphasised that the question of 'how accusations of racism informed decision making' must be addressed. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the murder as 'an act of pure evil' and the footage as 'disturbing and tragic', while warning against 'misinformation and inflammatory commentary'.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called for 'pure cold rage' in response, labelling the case evidence of 'two-tier policing' and 'anti-white prejudice'. He said: 'A false accusation of racism counted higher at that moment than someone that was dying.' Starmer condemned Farage, stating he was 'completely wrong to use this to try and create division', especially given the family's plea.

Protests and online escalation

The case has been amplified by US hard-right commentators including Elon Musk, who has posted multiple times about it. On Tuesday evening, hundreds gathered outside Southampton police station after far-right activist Tommy Robinson called for a 'Justice for Henry Nowak' protest. Demonstrators chanted 'Racist police, off our streets' and later threw stones, bottles and bins at officers blocking a road.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, accused Hampshire police of institutional racism and claimed police treat white British people as 'second-rate citizens'. One police officer unrelated to the case was misidentified online, received death threats, and had to be relocated for his safety.

Official investigations

Hampshire police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which confirmed an investigation is ongoing. The watchdog is examining a large amount of body-worn video and material from Digwa's trial, with a report expected within three months. Starmer said he would not rule out a wider inquiry once the IOPC completes its work.

In Parliament, Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, himself a Sikh, accused Reform UK and other far-right parties of deciding to 'scapegoat' the Sikh community 'based on the actions of one violent murderer'. Mahmood urged that the murder not be allowed to 'turn communities against one another'.