On the night of December 3, 2025, 18-year-old university student Henry Nowak was stabbed to death in the Portswood area of Southampton, England. The killing, which occurred shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Belmont Road as Nowak walked home alone from a night out with friends, has since sparked national outrage over the circumstances of the attack, the killer’s false claims, and the initial police response.
Nowak, a first-year Accounting and Finance student at the University of Southampton and a Polish-British resident of Essex, was unarmed and had a blood-alcohol level below the drink-drive limit. CCTV footage captured him earlier that evening leaving his halls of residence, stopping at a shop, and visiting The Hobbit pub before heading home.
The encounter began when Nowak, walking north along Belmont Road, came across 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa heading in the opposite direction. Nowak noticed Digwa carrying a visible dagger (a 21-centimetre blade in addition to the smaller ceremonial kirpan required by his Sikh faith) and began filming him on Snapchat. In a light-hearted but ill-fated exchange, Nowak jokingly called Digwa a “bad man.” Digwa responded, “I am a bad man,” then grabbed Nowak’s phone during the ensuing struggle.
What happened next was captured only by the two men. According to court evidence and the judge’s sentencing remarks, Digwa drew the larger dagger from its sheath and deliberately stabbed the defenceless Nowak five times—including a fatal wound to the chest and multiple wounds to the upper legs. Nowak never raised his hands to defend himself, suggesting one or more wounds incapacitated him immediately. He attempted to flee by climbing a fence and a wheelie bin, leaving a trail of blood, while Digwa filmed him.
Digwa’s brother called 999, falsely claiming Nowak had racially attacked his brother and denying any weapons were involved. When police arrived minutes later, Digwa repeated the fabricated story of racial abuse and assault. Bodycam footage released by Hampshire Police in June 2026 shows Nowak lying on the ground, repeatedly telling officers, “I’ve been stabbed” (nine times) and “I can’t breathe” (seven times). One officer replied, “Don’t think you have, mate,” before Nowak was handcuffed and arrested. Paramedics were called shortly afterward, and CPR was administered, but Nowak died at the scene at 12:37 a.m. A pathologist later testified that the injuries were so severe he would not have survived even with immediate medical intervention.
Digwa was charged with murder and possessing a bladed article. At Southampton Crown Court, he claimed self-defence, alleging racial slurs and physical provocation—claims the jury rejected. On May 28, 2026, he was convicted of murder. His mother was convicted of assisting an offender for hiding the murder weapon. On June 1, 2026, Judge William Mousley KC sentenced Digwa to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years, citing the premeditated use of a large blade, multiple stab wounds, lies to police, and the filming of his victim as aggravating factors.
The release of the bodycam footage triggered protests in Southampton and elsewhere, with some turning violent and drawing far-right activists. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the case as “awful and shocking,” met with Nowak’s family, and welcomed an ongoing Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation into the officers’ actions. The family has expressed heartbreak over the handling of their son’s final moments.
Henry Nowak’s death has reignited debates about knife crime, the public carrying of ceremonial weapons, and police procedures in high-stress situations. His family and supporters continue to call for accountability and reform in the hope that no other family endures the same tragedy.
SOURCES:
Henry Nowak’s killer Vickrum Digwa was known to police
Henry Nowak murder: What we know about how the events unfolded
Henry Nowak’s killer Vickrum Digwa was known to police
Southampton man jailed for life for murder of student with ‘religious’ knife | Crime | The Guardian
