Nowak family tell of 'unbelievable pain' of seeing footage of dying son handcuffed
His family describe the night police told them of his death, and watching him being handcuffed.
The Nowak family have revealed the unbearable anguish they experienced upon viewing the police footage of their son Henry, who had been murdered. The traumatic incident intensified when they watched the body-worn camera video of officers handcuffing Henry while he lay dying, despite repeatedly telling them he had been stabbed. His killer, Vickrum Digwa, falsely claimed Henry had racially abused him, leading to the officers handcuffing the student.
Henry, an 18-year-old student, was stabbed five times as he walked home from a night out with friends in Southampton on December 3, 2025. It took officers 24 hours to identify Henry's body and inform his family. Katie, Henry's stepmother, recounted how she jumped out of bed upon seeing the police car in their driveway and Mark, his father, cried out Henry's name, breaking down in tears.
Lucy, Henry's mother, and Olivia, his sister, expressed their inability to bear the anguish, with Olivia admitting to screaming Henry's name in heartache. The family's world had changed twice – once upon learning of Henry's death and again when they witnessed the police video. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating two officers for potential gross misconduct and examining whether race, religion, or prejudice influenced the police's decisions. The family's documentary, Dear Henry: Our Fight For Justice, airs on ITV on November 5, 2025.
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