Bodycam Footage Released Showing Arrest of Dying Southampton Student Henry Nowak After Attack by Vickrum Digwa and Kiran Kaur [VIDEO]

Distressing police bodycam footage has been released showing the moments an 18-year-old University of Southampton student was handcuffed by police as he lay dying from multiple stab wounds. The footage was made public following the sentencing of 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, who was jailed for life at Southampton Crown Court for the murder of finance student Henry Nowak.

Digwa’s mother, Kiran Kaur, an Indian national, was also convicted of assisting an offender after hiding the murder weapon while the victim lay bleeding.

The Fatal Incident and Police Response

The attack occurred on Belmont Road, Southampton, on December 3, 2025. Digwa stabbed Nowak five times with a 21cm Sikh ceremonial knife, a blade he claimed to carry as part of his faith.

The newly released bodycam footage reveals that responding officers initially focused on an allegation that Nowak had used a racial slur, rather than treating his physical injuries. As Nowak lay on the ground bleeding, officers placed him in handcuffs and read him his rights on suspicion of a racial offense. When Nowak told officers he could not breathe and had been stabbed, an officer responded, “I don’t think you have, mate.” Nowak lost consciousness moments later and died despite subsequent first aid efforts.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary face intense scrutiny over the decision to prioritize the verbal allegation over the fatal knife wounds, leaving Nowak to spend his final conscious moments humiliated and restrained.

Trial Revelations and "Weapons Obsession"

During the trial, the prosecution revealed that Digwa actively deceived officers at the scene by denying he had stabbed Nowak, directly leading to the student's wrongful arrest while in critical condition. Furthermore, Digwa used his phone to record videos of Nowak fleeing and later dying on the ground, which the Crown described as intrusive and humiliating.

At the sentencing hearing, prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg KC stated:

“This was a sustained attack on an unarmed man. The defendant is skilled with weapons, he trained with weapons, he sleeps in a room with weapons, he searches for weapons on his phone. The Crown says he is a man with a weapons obsession.”

While Digwa claimed self-defense—alleging that an intoxicated Nowak had racially abused him, punched him, and knocked off his turban—the court rejected these claims as a dishonest attempt to evade culpability. Digwa was ordered to serve a minimum of 21 years in prison.

Courtroom Confrontation and Judicial Remarks

The tension surrounding the case boiled over in the courtroom when Digwa’s family launched a verbal attack on Nowak’s grieving relatives, shouting "racist" at them. Security officers had to intervene quickly to separate the two factions.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge William Mousley KC addressed Digwa directly:

"You, Vickrum Digwa, murdered him. By doing so, you robbed him of all those he loved... You have brought shame upon your family, your community and your religion. Your actions have stirred up racial tension in Southampton and across the country which have made many Sikhs worried about their own safety even though they have done absolutely nothing wrong."

Family Tributes

Following the verdict, Nowak's family expressed their profound grief and anger over how his life ended. His mother, Lucy, remembered him as an ambitious, determined young man who was full of life, recalling the immense pride she felt when he earned his placement at the University of Southampton. His sister, Olivia, spoke directly to Digwa in court, stating, “If you had known him, you would never have hurt him.”

Outside the court, Henry’s father, Mark Nowak, condemned the emergency response, stating: “Henry did not die with dignity. He did not die with the care he deserved. He lost consciousness before anyone believed him.”