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Bodycam footage released by Hampshire police showing 18-year-old university student Henry Nowak handcuffed and pleading for help as he lay dying from multiple stab wounds has fueled violent protests in Southampton and ignited a heated national debate about policing, race, and justice in the UK.
Nowak, a first-year finance student at the University of Southampton, was stabbed five times in December 2025 during a confrontation with 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa. Digwa, who was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years, had falsely told police that Nowak had racially abused and assaulted him. Officers arriving at the scene appeared to believe Digwa's account, handcuffing Nowak despite his repeated pleas that he had been stabbed and could not breathe.
The footage, which was played during Digwa's trial and later released publicly, shows Nowak lying on the ground saying "I've been stabbed" and "I can't breathe," to which an officer responds, "Don't think you have, mate." Officers later realized the severity of his injuries, removed the handcuffs, and attempted CPR, but Nowak died at the scene.
Coverage comparison
The case has received extensive international coverage, with multiple outlets reporting on the key events: Digwa's conviction and sentencing, the release of the bodycam footage, the subsequent protests in Southampton, and the political fallout.
Most outlets, including ABC Australia, Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, France 24, Fox News, The Guardian, and The Hindu, have focused on the police's initial decision to handcuff Nowak based on Digwa's false claim of a racist attack. Several reports quote Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who said he "felt sick" watching the footage and called for an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The protests in Southampton, which turned violent on Tuesday, have been widely reported. Hundreds of demonstrators, including far-right figures Tommy Robinson and Laurence Fox, gathered in the city, with clashes breaking out as police were pelted with stones, bottles, bins, and flares. Eleven officers and a police dog were injured, and multiple arrests were made. The violence has been condemned by government officials, including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who called it "completely unacceptable" and "disgraceful violence."
Some reports have also highlighted the international dimension of the fallout. The Guardian reported that Polish far-right politicians, including MEP Ewa Zajączkowska-Hernik and Marta Czech of the Confederation of the Polish Crown, have used Nowak's murder to push anti-immigration narratives, with Zajączkowska-Hernik describing Digwa, a British citizen, as "an Indian" and blaming "mass immigration" for the tragedy. Far-right French politician Éric Zemmour has also organized rallies in response to the case, according to The Guardian.
Additionally, The Guardian reported on the misidentification of former police officer Christi Hill, who was falsely named by social media and AI platforms, including Elon Musk's Grok, as one of the arresting officers. Hill, who left Hampshire Constabulary in April 2024, said she and another former colleague were wrongly targeted, and Home Secretary Mahmood confirmed that a male officer had to move out of his home due to the threats.
Key claims
- Henry Nowak, 18, was stabbed five times by Vickrum Digwa, 23, on December 3, 2025, in Southampton, UK.
- Digwa, a British Sikh, used a ceremonial Sikh kirpan-style knife with a 21-centimetre (eight-inch) blade.
- Digwa falsely told police that Nowak had racially abused him and knocked off his turban.
- Police handcuffed Nowak despite his pleas that he had been stabbed and could not breathe.
- Bodycam footage shows an officer responding, "Don't think you have, mate" to Nowak's claim of being stabbed.
- Officers later removed the handcuffs and attempted CPR, but Nowak died at the scene.
- Digwa was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 21 years.
- Court pathologists concluded Nowak would have died of his injuries regardless of the emergency response.
- Violent protests erupted in Southampton on Tuesday, with police attacked with chairs, rocks, cans, and flares.
- Eleven officers and a police dog were injured; at least five or more people were arrested, with a total of 11 charged with violent disorder as of Saturday.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the protests as "disgraceful and completely unacceptable" and said the bodycam footage raised "serious questions" about how accusations of racism informed police decision-making.
- Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood condemned the violence and confirmed that the IOPC is investigating the police handling of the case.
- Nowak's family urged against using his death to sow division or cause disturbances, describing his treatment by police as "inhumane and degrading."
- The case has prompted claims by right-wing politicians and activists of "two-tier policing" biased against white people.
- Far-right activist Tommy Robinson spoke at a rally in Southampton, claiming police treat white British people as "second-rate citizens."
- Polish far-right politicians have used the case to promote anti-immigration views, with MEP Ewa Zajączkowska-Hernik claiming it symbolizes "Britain's descent into the depths of the earth."
- Former police officer Christi Hill was falsely identified online as involved in the arrest; she left the force in April 2024.
- Police planned to release a statement during Digwa's trial to address online disinformation but were warned by the Crown Prosecution Service it could jeopardize the case, according to a report in the Sunday Times.