One of the officers involved in the Henry Nowak case has stepped down. The 18 year old student was stabbed to death by 23 year old Vickrum Digwa in Southampton on December 3 2025. Distressing footage shows him being handcuffed as he lay dying. Digwa lied to police and claimed he had been the victim of a racist attack. He was convicted of murder this week, reports the Mirror . A Hampshire Police spokesperson confirmed today that one of the officers involved in the case
had resigned. They said: “Three of the officers are still serving, one officer has resigned. As the IOPC has confirmed, they are all being treated as witnesses, so not subject to any current restrictions.” In body-worn camera footage from the incident, Mr Nowak can be heard repeatedly saying: “I’ve been stabbed,” to which an officer replies: “Don’t think you have, mate.” Sir Keir Starmer said he “felt sick” watching footage of police handcuffing Mr Nowak, and that there are “serious questions” to answer about the
case. The Prime Minister stated that an examination is needed into how “accusations of racism” influenced the police’s decision-making throughout the case. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is expected to publish its findings on the case within the next three months. It confirmed that investigators are currently reviewing a substantial amount of body-worn video footage alongside material presented during Digwa’s trial. Sir Keir said: “It is absolutely right that the IOPC are looking at this. There are clearly serious questions that need to
be addressed, not least how accusations of racism informed the decision-making in this case.” Digwa was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years behind bars for stabbing Mr Nowak with a ceremonial knife bearing a 21cm blade, which was described in court as a “Sikh dagger”. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood addressed the Commons this afternoon, warning that “we cannot allow this murder to turn communities against one another”, and adding: “We condemn those who committed this heinous crime, not all those
who share their faith or their ethnicity.” Mr Nowak’s father, Mark Nowak, speaking following Digwa’s sentencing on Monday, said: “We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension.”
Henry Nowak, Vickrum Digwa, Southampton, officer resigned, IOPC, body-worn video, life sentence, racist attack claim, Shabana Mahmood, Keir Starmer, Mark Nowak