Police have released body-worn camera footage showing officers handcuffing 18-year-old Henry Nowak as he lay dying. The broadcaster removed audio in parts of the video because the material was judged too distressing to air in full.
The December footage also captured statements by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, who later admitted killing Nowak. Digwa told officers he had been racially abused and that he acted in self-defence, claims the court found to be untrue. He said his turban had been knocked off and that he had sustained an injury.
Police say they consulted Nowak’s family before making the footage public; the same material was shown during the trial.
On Monday, Digwa was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years. He used a 21 cm blade, which he said he carried for religious reasons as a Sikh, to stab Nowak. The victim was walking home alone after a night out in Southampton on 3 December. The judge dismissed Digwa’s assertions that race motivated the attack.
Speaking after the hearing, Henry Nowak’s father, Mark Nowak, described the difference in how his son and Digwa were treated as unbearable. He said Henry should not have died on the streets or ‘in police custody’ and called the handling of his son’s final moments inhumane and degrading. He added that Digwa appeared to be afforded decency and was not handcuffed, while Henry lost consciousness before those present acknowledged the severity of his condition and did not receive the care his family believes he deserved.
