Ask Onix
Warning: This article contains details some readers may find distressing.
Student's final moments captured on police bodycam
Eighteen-year-old Henry Nowak repeatedly told officers "I can't breathe" as he lay dying in handcuffs following a fatal stabbing in Southampton in 2025, body-worn camera footage released by Hampshire police shows.
The footage, published with the Nowak family's consent, reveals Nowak pleading "I've been stabbed" while an officer responds, "I don't think you have, mate."
Attacker falsely claimed racist assault
Vickrum Digwa, 23, initially misled responding officers by alleging Nowak had attacked him in a racially motivated incident. Digwa later admitted stabbing Nowak with a 21 cm blade, inflicting wounds to his legs and a fatal injury to his heart.
Digwa, who stated he carried the weapon as part of his Sikh faith, received a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years. The attorney general's office is reviewing the sentence after receiving multiple requests to assess whether it was unduly lenient.
Family condemns police response
Nowak's relatives, from Chafford Hundred in Essex, described his treatment by officers as "inhumane and degrading." His father, Mark Nowak, said his son told police "I can't breathe" nine times and informed them four times that he had been stabbed.
"Henry was pulled across gravel, his hands forced behind his back, and placed in handcuffs. The contrast between how my son and Digwa were treated is unbearable. Henry should not have died on the streets of Southampton in police custody."
Mark Nowak, Henry's father
Bodycam footage details
In the released footage, an officer arriving at the scene asks Nowak, who is lying on his back, "What's your name, mate?" Nowak faintly replies, "Henry."
Digwa then appears, claiming Nowak had removed his turban and grabbed his hair. When asked if he was injured, Digwa points to a swollen eye and minor bruising. Officers turn to Nowak, who continues to say, "I've been stabbed" and "I can't breathe" as he is handcuffed.
An officer briefly lifts Nowak's shirt near his waistband, then tells him he is under arrest for assault. Nowak, appearing unresponsive, is left lying on his side. Within three minutes, officers began CPR, though a pathologist later testified that the internal bleeding from his chest wound was unsurvivable.
Political and community reactions
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood called the stabbing an "evil act" and praised the Nowak family's "powerful words" in the House of Commons. She noted the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the officers' actions and pledged support for its inquiry.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the case as "awful and shocking," urging action to address knife crime. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage sparked controversy by suggesting the incident reflected a "two-tier culture" where white individuals receive lesser protection. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Farage of deepening divisions, while Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called the murder "evil" and criticized the police response.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones labeled Nowak's death a "national tragedy" and announced plans to meet with his family while urging the prime minister to review laws on carrying bladed articles for religious purposes.
Sikh community distances itself from attacker
Digwa claimed he carried the weapon as a kirpan, a ceremonial blade central to Sikh faith. However, the 21 cm knife he used was significantly larger than the small, curved kirpan typically worn close to the body. Digwa had worn the blade in a sheath over his clothing, and when he asked his mother to remove it from the scene, he referred to it as a "shastar," the Punjabi word for weapon.
The Sikh Federation and Sikh Press Association condemned the killing, clarifying that the knife used was not a kirpan. The Press Association announced plans to address all initiated Sikhs in the UK regarding kirpan rules and responsibilities. Digwa had previously been barred from a Southampton gurdwara due to concerns about his behavior.
"We apologize to the Sikh community for our son's actions, which have unfairly brought the community into disrepute. We hope this tragedy is not used to inflame division or hostility."
Statement from Digwa's family
Ongoing investigations
The IOPC continues its inquiry into the officers' conduct, reviewing extensive body-worn camera footage and evidence from Digwa's trial. IOPC director Derrick Campbell stated the investigation aims to establish the full circumstances surrounding Nowak's death.
The officers involved remain witnesses in the case. Meanwhile, Digwa's mother, Kiran Kaur, is scheduled to be sentenced later this month for assisting an offender.
