Henry Nowak case: What happened and why has it caused national outrage?

The murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak has drawn national attention and questions over how police treated him in his final moments.

Nowak was fatally stabbed in Southampton in December by Vickrum Digwa, who falsely claimed he had been racially abused and had acted in self-defence.

Digwa was jailed for life on Monday, with a minimum term of 21 years.

But the release of police bodycam footage showing Nowak being handcuffed as he lay dying has led to intense scrutiny of the police response - with the case also sparking fresh debates around knife laws, race, policing and public trust.

Henry Nowak, from Chafford Hundred in Essex, was a first-year accountancy and finance student at the University of Southampton.

His family said he had been "fully embracing university life" and had been out with his football team mates on the night of his death.

His family described him as a much-loved son and brother who was kind, intelligent and talented.

In statements read to Southampton Crown Court, his sister Olivia called him her "best friend" and said they had "an unbreakable bond".

Mum Lucy Ross said her son had been "ambitious, determined, and full of life".

Nowak crossed paths with 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa on Belmont Road, Southampton, at about 23:30 GMT on 3 December, while walking home alone after a night out with friends.

In what Judge William Mousley KC described as a "chance meeting", the court heard Nowak was alone, unarmed and had been drinking at a level below the drink-drive limit.

Mousley said Digwa was carrying a knife in a sheath, as well as a second, larger dagger linked to his tradition as a member of the Nihang order of Sikhs.

Nowak appeared to notice the larger blade and began filming Digwa on his phone.

The judge said Nowak asked Digwa if he was a "bad man", before Digwa took the phone.

He said the exact events that followed were witnessed only by the two men, but that Digwa deliberately stabbed Nowak.

Nowak suffered four stab wounds, including a fatal injury to the chest.

The judge said Digwa filmed Nowak as he suffered following the stabbing.

Digwa was found guilty of murder and was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years.

He was also sentenced for carrying a knife in public.

The judge rejected his claims that Nowak had racially abused him and that he had acted in self-defence.

He told Digwa his actions had brought "shame" on his family and his religion, and had stirred up racial tension in Southampton and across the country.

Though Nowak was the victim, it was Digwa's brother who called 999, claiming Vickrum had been attacked "racially".

The call was made at around 23:30 and police arrived at the scene seven minutes later.

Bodycam footage released by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, with the permission of Nowak's family, showed officers speaking to Digwa and others while Nowak lay on the ground.

Nowak could be heard repeatedly saying that he had been stabbed and could not breathe.

The footage showed officers turning him onto his side, handcuffing his hands behind his back and telling him he was under arrest.

During the video, Nowak becomes unresponsive.

Officers then called an ambulance and began CPR.

At sentencing, the judge said Nowak's injuries were so severe he would not have survived, however quickly he received treatment.

But Nowak's family said the way he was treated by police was "inhumane and degrading".

Speaking outside court, his father Mark Nowak said the contrast between how his son and Digwa were treated was "unbearable".

"Henry did not die with dignity," he said.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has apologised.

Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Robert France said officers had been lied to in the 999 call and had faced an "extremely complex" crime scene.

Chief Constable Alexis Boon later told the BBC he was "distressed" by the footage and said he was sorry Nowak's family had been put through it.

He confirmed one officer in the footage had since left the force for an unrelated reason, while three others were no longer on front-line duties.

The response is now being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after the force referred itself to the watchdog.

Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones has also asked His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services to review the matter.

The release of the police bodycam footage led to widespread reaction and debate.

Following Digwa's sentencing, Nowak's father Mark called for a "full, fearless and transparent" investigation into the police response.

But he also urged people not to use his son's death to create division.

"We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension," he said.

Despite those appeals, demonstrations took place in Southampton on Tuesday evening. Police said officers were pelted with missiles including chairs, cans and flares, leaving 11 officers and a police dog injured.

The family later condemned the disorder, with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones saying they had told her they did not support protests or unrest.

Daniel Frost, 44, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon following the clashes.

Matt Styler, 50, pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer and is awaiting a further court hearing.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described it as an "awful, shocking case" and said it was right that the police response was being investigated.

On Thursday he met Nowak's familt at Downing Street. Afterwards, Sir Keir said he was "profoundly humbled" by the meeting and that Nowak deserved "a legacy that goes beyond this awful tragedy".

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the case should be a "wake-up call" and later said Nowak's family had asked political leaders to work together to rebuild trust in policing.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the case showed evidence of "two-tier policing" and called on the public to respond with "pure, cold rage". Sir Keir accused him of exploiting the tragedy to create "grievance and division".

The debate has extended beyond Westminster. Elon Musk criticised the police treatment of Nowak on X, prompting Sir Keir to accuse the billionaire of trying to "whip up division".

The National Police Chiefs' Council said it will review language used in anti-racism guidance after suggestions it may have influenced officers' actions on the night Nowak died.

The case has also been accompanied by a wave of misinformation online.

Former police officer Christi Hill said she received threats after being wrongly identified on social media and by the AI chatbot Grok as one of the officers involved in Nowak's arrest, despite having left Hampshire Constabulary more than a year before the incident.

A serving officer, Tristan Parsons, was also wrongly accused online and has been relocated after receiving threats.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said misinformation and inflammatory commentary were making a "dreadful situation even worse".

The Council of Southampton Gurdwaras said the community stood firmly with Nowak's family but that violence on the streets should never be tolerated.

Pritheepal Singh, from the council, said the scenes had caused "a lot of community tension" and called for "peace and harmony" in Southampton and beyond.

Southampton Test MP Satvir Kaur said it was important that "a single person's evil act" was not seen as representative of an entire community.

Mark Nowak called for knife crime to be treated as a "national emergency", while Donna Jones urged the government to review laws covering the carrying of bladed articles for religious and ceremonial purposes.

The debate has included disagreement over the weapon used in the attack.

The Sikh Federation has said the larger blade carried by Digwa was not a kirpan, one of the articles of faith carried by Sikhs.

But the CPS said Digwa chose to carry two ceremonial knives and that the judge's finding of fact made clear he agreed with its assessment that the weapon used was a kirpan.

The IOPC investigation is ongoing and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has said it will act on any recommendations made by the watchdog.

A jury inquest next year will also examine the circumstances surrounding Nowak's death.

Hampshire coroner Jason Pegg said jurors would consider whether any act or omission by police officers, or any delay in treatment, caused or contributed to his death.

Digwa's mother, Kiran Kaur, is due to be sentenced on 17 July after being found guilty of assisting an offender by attempting to hide the murder weapon.

The Attorney General's Office is considering whether Digwa's sentence should be referred to the Court of Appeal under the unduly lenient sentence scheme after receiving multiple requests.

For Nowak's family, the focus remains on ensuring lessons are learned from what happened. Mark Nowak has said he wants his son's story to "make change for the better" and that no other family should experience the loss they have suffered.