In an interview with ITV News’ UK Editor Paul Brand, Henry Nowak’s family said they felt they were “not told the truth” by police in the aftermath of his death
The family of Henry Nowak says they fear they may have been “manipulated in their darkest hours” by both Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary and the police watchdog in the months following the 18-year-old’s murder.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched an investigation into the way officers responded to the student’s murder in Southampton, after police initially dismissed Henry’s claims that he had been stabbed and could not breathe.
Bodycam footage shows the officers arresting Henry as he lay dying on the ground.
The family has spoken to ITV News’ UK Editor Paul Brand about the way Henry was treated and their own dealings with the police in the months after his death.
Speaking for the first time in a special ITV Tonight documentary, the family allege:
- Hampshire Constabulary and Isle of Wight Constabulary initially suggested to them that Henry had been the aggressor, rather than his killer, Vickrum Digwa.
- Police told the family that officers had immediately administered first aid to Henry, before admitting that he had in fact been handcuffed and arrested instead.
- The police watchdog, the IOPC, told the family in April that there were “no concerns identified” in relation to officer actions on the night Henry was killed in December last year.
- The family only saw disturbing police bodycam footage of Henry’s arrest on the first day of Digwa’s trial.
Henry’s stepmother Katie Nowak said: “I do feel that we have been failed multiple times.
“I fear that we may have been manipulated in our darkest hours.
“And I fear that some decisions were made to try and protect the police and their reputation rather than help us as a family.”
The Nowaks first began to doubt Hampshire Police’s account of Henry’s murder on the night they were informed that he had died.
“Quite early on something didn’t feel right to us because we were being told that Henry was the aggressor, or it was certainly being alluded to,” Katie said.
Hours after being told Henry was killed, the family says they found a post on Southampton Police’s Facebook page, which suggested that Henry had started the violence, stating that “two individuals were attacked by an unknown man”.
“We then knew that unknown man to be Henry,” said Katie, “so, even reading that was so shocking.”
The following day, while Henry’s father Mark Nowak was driving home from identifying his son’s body in Southampton, he said he was called by police to approve a press release that would name Henry for the first time.
However, in this draft release, Mark said Henry was again depicted as the “aggressor”.
“That was a statement that essentially identified the victim,” Mark said.
“So, tarnishing the victim’s name at that stage was shocking for me to hear… as I was on the way back from identifying my son’s body.”
Henry’s family say police also asked them about Henry’s political views, as well as their own.
His mother Lucy Ross said: “I did think at the time, it’s a really strange question. You’ve just been told your son’s been murdered and then they asked that.”
The family believes that police had initially fallen for 23-year-old Digwa’s lies that he had been the victim of a racist attack by Henry, before realising their mistake.
Mark says the family was initially told that when police arrived at the scene, “they noticed Henry was in a serious state and they immediately started to administer first aid.”
But in the days and weeks that followed, they were then told that Henry had in fact been handcuffed and arrested before officers tried to help him.
“The story was evolving every time we had an interaction,” Mark explained.
“What started off as, ‘When the police arrived, we administered first aid’, moved through a stage where: ‘When the police arrived, they detained everyone’…
“To: ‘We actually only detained Henry’, to then: ‘We handcuffed Henry’, and then: ‘We placed Henry under arrest’.
“That evolution of what actually happened that night really shocked us, and we felt we were being hoodwinked. We felt we were being not told the truth.”
Vickrum Digwa used his eight-inch blade to stab Henry a total of five times – delivering the fatal blow to his chest.
Police initially dismissed Henry’s pleas that he had been stabbed and could not breathe, before finally discovering the fatal stab wound to his chest while performing CPR, eight minutes after arriving on the scene.
It was heard in court that Henry would not have survived his injuries, even if officers had administered first aid sooner.
Yet even as the trial of Henry’s killer approached earlier this year, the police watchdog was still insisting to the family that there was no evidence of any misconduct by the officers who attended the scene that night, as the IOPC continued its investigation.
A letter to the family from the IOPC dated April 10 states: “After careful consideration of the available evidence, the decision was made… that no HIOWC officers would be subject to conduct or criminal investigation. This was because there were no concerns identified in relation to officer actions.”
“We had no reason to doubt this letter,” said Katie. “So, when we finally got to see that video in court, we were so shocked.”
It wasn’t until weeks later, on the first day of Digwa’s trial, that the family would be shown the police bodycam footage revealing the way officers attended to Henry that night, destroying any faith the family still had in the police and its watchdog.
Mark and Katie, who watched that footage for the first time in a small side room in Southampton Crown Court, saw how Henry told officers repeatedly “I’ve been stabbed”, to which one officer replied: “I don’t think you have, mate.”
A transcript of the footage also revealed to the family that Henry’s final words before he died were, “Please, brother. I can’t breathe”.
“In the last year, our world has changed twice,” said Katie. “The first time was the night that we were told that Henry had died. And the second time was when we watched that video.”
“It was just horror,” she added, “the desperation he must have felt. It’s your worst nightmare.”
“It’s inexcusable,” Mark said. “After being slaughtered, when you see blue lights, you feel there’s a sense of justice. You feel like you’re going to get help. And [Henry] got none of that.
“And then he died.”
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Henry’s mother Lucy said: “Henry told the police nine times that he can’t breathe, he can’t breathe and he’s been stabbed. What more do you want? ‘Don’t think you have mate’ – what the hell is that all about?”
“Why was Henry so dismissed and treated so badly? It’s bad enough losing a child – to know that then he was treated in his last moments like that,” she added.
“My poor little boy needed help and he didn’t get it.”
Lucy and Henry’s sister Olivia were told of the contents of the footage by Mark Nowak – but they have never seen it.
“I will never watch that video,” said Lucy. “I can’t watch videos of happy times of Henry. I can’t, I can’t hear his voice.
“The last thing I want to do is hear Henry’s voice begging for help. I won’t do it.”
Henry’s family believe that police may have been withholding information from them in order to protect their own reputation, with Mark accusing them of “a lack of truth and integrity throughout”.
Speaking about the police’s conduct, Katie said: “We’ve always felt that there was a slight hope that Vickrum may have pleaded guilty.”
The police bodycam footage was played as evidence during Digwa’s trial. If the case had not gone to trial, it might never have been shown in open court.
“If he’d pleaded guilty, or we hadn’t have hired expert help and been so persistent, or the public outrage hadn’t been so strong, we’ve always had that fear that the truth may never have come out.”
Responding to the family’s claims, Hampshire and Isle of Wight’s Chief Constable admitted for the first time that his force “failed” 18-year-old Henry Nowak, ITV News can reveal.
Alexis Boon said: “Henry’s murder was a devastating tragedy, and our thoughts remain with his family and all those who loved him.
“I am incredibly sorry that in his final moments, when he needed us most, we failed him.”
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary made a mandatory self-referral to the IOPC following Henry’s death.
The investigation was widened after footage of Henry’s arrest became public, with two officers placed under investigation for potential gross misconduct.
The IOPC is due to report back early next year.
Last week the Home Secretary announced an independent review of the whole case – including the IOPC’s involvement.
A Home Office spokesperson told ITV News: “The murder of Henry Nowak was a tragedy. His life was cruelly cut short in a horrific and senseless act of violence.
“Our thoughts are with Henry’s family who have experienced unimaginable loss. We are continuing discussions with Sikh stakeholders and the police about the law on carrying knives in public and the religious reasons defence.
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“The Home Secretary has also announced a rapid independent review, led by Alex Chalk KC, into the circumstances surrounding Henry’s murder, including whether opportunities were missed and whether lessons can be learned.
“This Government is committed to halving knife crime in a decade, and it is down 11% in the last two years. But while there are still tragedies like this, there is more to do.”
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Chief Constable, Alexis Boon told ITV News: “Henry’s murder was a devastating tragedy, and our thoughts remain with his family and all those who loved him.
“I am incredibly sorry that in his final moments, when he needed us most, we failed him.
“I recognise that, for Henry’s family, this has been about more than the circumstances of one night.
“They have rightly raised serious concerns about the police response and their treatment throughout the investigation and since. No family should ever find themselves in this position.
“The events surrounding Henry’s death remain subject to extensive independent scrutiny. We are co-operating fully with the review by HMICFRS, the IOPC’s investigations and the coronial inquest.
“But I will not wait for their findings to make changes.
“Henry deserved better. His family deserved better. I am determined that we learn every lesson from this tragedy and ensure families who place their trust in us are treated with honesty, compassion and professionalism.”
IOPC Director of Engagement Derrick Campbell told ITV News: “Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Henry’s family and friends for their tragic loss.
“The IOPC is committed to establishing the full circumstances of this case, including whether any of the officers involved should face disciplinary proceedings, and providing Henry’s family with answers to the questions they rightly have about how the police treated Henry in the way they did on that terrible night, and why.
“Our investigators continue to have regular contact with Henry’s family. Since Vickrum Digwa was convicted of his murder, they have met with members of Henry’s family on a number of occasions to provide them with updates and to explore their concerns, about police actions and our investigation, in more detail.
“We are working hard to conclude our independent investigation as quickly as possible while ensuring we have robustly explored all lines of enquiry.”
A CPS spokesperson told ITV News: “Our thoughts remain with Henry Nowak’s family and friends for the unimaginable pain they have suffered.
“Our priority in this case was always securing justice. That means we must carefully balance our duty to protect the integrity of live court proceedings with our engagement with families.
“Unfortunately, we were unable to share sensitive evidence with Henry’s family until the case was trial-ready; to avoid any risk of prejudicing proceedings. We discussed this with them and explained that decision.”
You can watch the ITV Tonight special ‘Dear Henry: Our Fight for Justice’ at 9pm on Thursday, November 5, on ITV1, ITVX, STV and ITV News YouTube
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