A shocking new development has emerged in the murder case of Henry Nowak after newly released footage appeared to show the convicted killer making false claims to police moments after the fatal attack.
The newly revealed body-worn camera footage reportedly shows Vickrum Digwa telling officers that he had been the victim of a racist attack, claiming Henry Nowak had targeted him during an alleged confrontation. Investigators later determined that those claims were false, and Digwa was convicted of murdering the 18-year-old student.
The footage has sparked widespread outrage because it shows the events immediately after the stabbing, when police responded to the scene. According to reports, Digwa’s version of events influenced the initial response, with officers treating Nowak as a suspect before discovering the seriousness of his injuries.
Court proceedings later found no evidence supporting Digwa’s claims that Nowak had racially abused him. The investigation concluded that the accusations were fabricated, adding another disturbing layer to an already tragic case.
Digwa was sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of murder. The release of the footage has reignited public debate over the handling of the incident and raised further questions about the moments before and after Nowak’s death.
The case has deeply affected the community, with many demanding accountability and answers about how the situation unfolded.
As more details continue to emerge, one question remains at the center of the investigation: How did a false story change the final moments of Henry Nowak’s life?
The newly released footage has reopened painful questions — and the full impact of what happened is still being examined.
But let’s examine this case more closely to understand the full tragedy that unfolded on that fateful night in Southampton, England, back in December 2025. Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old university student pursuing a degree in finance and accounting, had been out for an evening with friends when he encountered Vickrum Digwa, a 23-year-old man of Sikh background who carried a 21-centimeter dagger as part of his religious practices. What began as a routine walk home turned into a violent altercation that ended in multiple stab wounds to the chest and abdomen.
Digwa inflicted five fatal blows, and Henry collapsed to the ground, gasping for air and pleading for help.
The night took a horrifying turn when Digwa’s brother, Gurpreet Digwa, made a 999 emergency call claiming that his brother had been the victim of a racist assault. According to court records, Digwa and his brother insisted that Henry had called him a racial slur, knocked his turban off, and assaulted him in a drunken rage. Digwa himself repeated these lies to arriving police officers, positioning himself as the innocent target while portraying Henry as the aggressor. This false narrative played a critical role in shaping how first responders handled the scene.
The body-worn camera footage, released by Hampshire Police with the permission of Henry’s family, captures the chilling sequence of events in real time. Officers arrive to find Henry lying on the pavement, bleeding heavily from his injuries. He repeatedly tells them he has been stabbed, that he cannot breathe, and that he needs immediate medical attention. Yet Digwa insists on the same fabricated story, telling the officers that he was the one who was attacked and that no weapons were involved.
Officers, influenced by Digwa’s account and the initial 999 call, handcuff Henry and treat him as a suspect rather than a victim in distress. Henry struggles, loses consciousness, and dies at the scene shortly afterward from the stab wounds.
The shock of this footage cannot be overstated. It reveals how a single false claim can derail the entire response to a crime, turning a moment of desperation for one young man into a scene of apparent injustice. Henry’s family has spoken publicly about the trauma of seeing their son treated as the perpetrator in the very minutes before his life was lost. They have described the arrest and handcuffing as inhumane and degrading, calling for a full independent investigation into the police handling of the case.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has been involved, examining whether officers acted appropriately given the circumstances and the initial misleading information provided by the suspect and his family.
At the trial, the jury heard evidence that Digwa’s claims of self-defense and racial provocation were entirely fabricated. No evidence was found to support Henry’s alleged racist remarks or physical assault. Digwa’s brother’s initial call to emergency services was also determined to be part of a coordinated effort to create a false victim narrative. When confronted in court, Digwa continued to maintain his innocence, but the jury rejected his version of events outright. On May 28, 2026, a jury at Southampton Crown Court found him guilty of murder after just a short deliberation.
Less than a week later, on June 1, 2026, Digwa was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years before he becomes eligible for parole.
