Man sentenced to life for fatal stabbing of Southampton student Henry Nowak, 18

Bodycam footage released by the Nowak family shows the dying teenager handcuffed by officers who initially believed a false account from the attacker. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating.

By lynn Matthews| Wecu Media

June 2, 2026

Vickrum Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday,

Vickrum Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday, with a minimum term of 21 years, for the murder of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old British-Polish student at the University of Southampton. The judge noted that Digwa's lies in the immediate aftermath of the attack had aggravated the offence and contributed to racial tension.

Henry Nowak was stabbed multiple times

Henry was stabbed five times — in the chest, face, and the back of both legs — in the Portswood area of Southampton in the early hours of December 3, 2025, after a night out with friends. The chest wound proved fatal, penetrating the heart and lungs. He attempted to flee, leaving a blood trail, before collapsing. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:37 a.m.

A false account and a dying teenager, Henry Nowak in handcuffs

In the minutes after the attack, Digwa's family told arriving officers that Henry had racially abused Digwa, punched him, and knocked off his turban — casting the dying teenager as the aggressor in a racist attack. Officers initially accepted this account.

Bodycam footage, released this week with the permission of Henry's family, captures what followed. Henry, lying on the ground with multiple stab wounds, was handcuffed with his hands behind his back and arrested on suspicion of assault. He can be heard telling officers "I've been stabbed" and "I can't breathe" — reportedly as many as nine times. One officer is heard responding: "I don't think you have, mate."

Several minutes passed before officers removed the handcuffs, began CPR, and called for emergency medical assistance. A doctor was airlifted to the scene. Henry did not survive.

Family: 'He did not die with dignity'

Speaking outside court following sentencing, Henry's father, Mark Nowak, said his son "did not die with dignity." The family described the police response as "inhumane and degrading" while making clear they hold Digwa solely responsible for Henry's death.

The Nowak family has called for a full and transparent investigation into the officers' actions and has urged that knife crime be treated as a national emergency.

Police apology and ongoing investigation

Hampshire Police has issued a formal apology, describing the case as a "national tragedy" and stating that officers had been "misled" in what it characterised as a dark and chaotic scene. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the officers' conduct, decision-making, and training.

Digwa had been openly carrying a 21-centimetre Sikh ceremonial kirpan on his belt at the time of the attack. He handed the weapon to his mother immediately after the stabbing. She was subsequently convicted of assisting an offender; her sentencing is pending.

Reporting draws on court proceedings, Hampshire Police statements, and BBC News coverage of the sentencing.