Key facts
- Over 20 individuals have been charged following a violent protest in Southampton.
- The protest was related to the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak.
- Vickrum Digwa was convicted of murdering Henry Nowak and sentenced to life imprisonment.
- Police bodycam footage showed officers handcuffing Nowak as he lay dying.
- Nowak's family criticized the police's treatment of him as "inhumane and degrading".
More than 20 individuals have been charged following a violent protest in Southampton that was sparked by the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak. The protest highlighted public anger over the police's handling of Nowak's final moments.
Vickrum Digwa was convicted of murdering Nowak and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years. The judge dismissed Digwa's claims that Nowak had racially abused him and that he acted in self-defense.
Scrutiny of the police response intensified after bodycam footage emerged showing officers handcuffing Nowak while he lay dying from stab wounds. Nowak's family described the treatment as "inhumane and degrading," contrasting it with the initial police interaction with Digwa, who had called 999 claiming self-defense.
Henry Nowak, a first-year accountancy and finance student, was described by his family as kind, ambitious, and full of life. The case has prompted wider debates on knife laws, race, policing, and public trust.