English cops cuffed teen stabbing victim after attacker claimed racial assault
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The release of new police body camera footage is casting a critical spotlight on local law enforcement, following a tragic incident involving an 18-year-old university student in Southampton. The video, made public on Monday, reveals a distressing encounter where officers handcuffed the young man, who repeatedly pleaded that he had been stabbed and was unable to breathe. This took place just moments before he succumbed to his injuries on the street.

The footage, which emerged in the wake of 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa’s murder conviction, captures the harrowing moments after the December 3, 2025, attack. In it, Henry Nowak can be heard desperately telling officers, “I’ve been stabbed” and “I can’t breathe,” as he lay on the ground.

Despite Nowak’s pleas, one officer is heard dismissively responding, “I don’t think you have, mate,” according to the video evidence.

The decision to handcuff Nowak came after Digwa alleged he was the victim of a racist assault, a claim brought up during court proceedings previously highlighted by Sky News.

A police handout from Hampshire Police features an image of Henry Nowak, underscoring the gravity of the situation.

As reported by Reuters, the officers eventually removed the handcuffs and initiated CPR upon realizing the gravity of Nowak’s condition, having discovered he had indeed sustained severe stab wounds. This incident raises significant questions about the initial police response and the protocols followed in such critical situations.

Digwa was sentenced Monday to life in prison after being convicted of murdering the 18-year-old University of Southampton finance student with a 21-centimeter blade prosecutors described as a Sikh kirpan-style weapon.

The case has sparked political backlash in Britain and renewed debate over policing, race and knife crime.

In a statement read outside court Monday, Nowak’s father, Mark Nowak, said his son repeatedly pleaded for help before losing consciousness.

Vickrum Digwa was found guilty at Southampton Crown Court of murdering university student Henry Nowak by stabbing him five times with a Sikh kirpan ceremonial knife on Dec. 3, 2025, in Southampton. (Hampshire Police/PA Wire)

“Henry had been stabbed multiple times, and as his chest filled with blood, he tried to escape. He was chased, abused, and filmed by Vickrum Digwa and others,” Mark Nowak said, according to Reuters. “When police arrived, Henry was lying on the floor, barely able to sit up and plainly in severe medical distress.” 

“With his final words, he told officers that he could not breathe. He told them he had been stabbed,” Mark Nowak said, according to Reuters. “The response from one officer was ‘I don’t think you have, mate,’” he added.

Mark Nowak said the family held Digwa “solely and 100% responsible” for their son’s death, but criticized the police, saying, “Henry should not have died on the streets of Southampton in police custody. The way he was treated was inhumane and degrading.”

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, said the case showed “the fear of being called racist was greater than dealing with Henry Nowak’s murder,” according to Reuters.

Police officers standing outside a house on Hatherley Street in Liverpool

Newly released police bodycam footage is intensifying scrutiny of local police after officers handcuffed an 18-year-old university student who repeatedly told them he had been stabbed and could not breathe moments before dying on a Southampton street.  (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick also called for the release of body-worn camera footage and accused authorities of prioritizing allegations of racism over saving Nowak’s life during an appearance on GB News.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the killing as “an awful, shocking case” and said it was right that the Independent Office for Police Conduct investigate the police response.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, the police force responsible for policing Southampton and surrounding areas in southern England, previously apologized after the conviction, with Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Robert France saying he was sorry that Nowak had been handcuffed “in the moments before he lost consciousness,” according to Sky News.

The police force remains under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

News Agency reached out to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary for comment but did not receive a response. 

Reuters contributed to this story.

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