Key facts
- Newly released police body-worn video shows Vickrum Digwa repeatedly lying to officers about the circumstances of Henry Nowak's death.
- Digwa falsely claimed he was racially attacked by Nowak and that Nowak was drunk.
- The Nowak family stated Digwa was treated with more decency by police than their son, who died after being stabbed.
- Evidence presented in court contradicted Digwa's claims of self-defense.
- Hampshire police have apologized to the Nowak family, and an investigation into their conduct is ongoing.
Newly released police body-worn video footage has exposed the repeated lies told by Vickrum Digwa, the man convicted of killing Henry Nowak. The footage, obtained by the BBC following a request, shows Digwa making false claims to officers on the night of Nowak's death, including assertions of being racially attacked and that Nowak was "obviously drunk."
The Nowak family has highlighted a stark contrast in the treatment of Digwa and their son, stating that Digwa was "never handcuffed" during his four days in custody prior to being charged, while Henry was handcuffed as he lay dying. Mark Nowak, Henry's father, described the police's treatment of his son's killer as "decency" compared to the "inhumane and degrading" treatment of Henry.
During Digwa's murder trial at Southampton Crown Court, it was heard that Henry's blood alcohol level was low enough to pass a breathalyser test on the night he was stabbed. Digwa repeated his false account to police in the days following his arrest, claiming Nowak had knocked his turban off and that he acted in self-defense. However, visual evidence from the scene showed Digwa's hair neatly tied up before police arrived, contradicting his claims of a struggle.
The released footage, which begins at 23:47 GMT, shows Digwa complaining about emergency vehicle lights while medics attempted to resuscitate Nowak. He was eventually arrested on suspicion of attempted murder at 23:55 GMT. Hampshire police confirmed to the BBC that Digwa was never handcuffed, a detail the Nowak family had previously disclosed.
Judge William Mousley KC stated during sentencing that Henry Nowak was a "much-loved, kind, hard-working and ambitious young man." He concluded that Nowak likely sought to retrieve his phone after Digwa grabbed it, leading to a physical struggle, and that Nowak had said nothing racist. Hampshire police have since apologized to the Nowak family for their officers' conduct, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating.