Harry Nowak Case Update: The killing of 19 year old finance student Harry Nowak, has sparked massive outrage with protests erupting across England. Now home minister Shabana Mehmood has condemned the protests, with PM Keim Starmer also reacting.
What Happened to Harry Nowak?
Harry Nowak was a 19 year old finance student, who got fatally stabbed in Southampton. On 3rd December 2025, Nowak who played football had a fun night out with his team mates. While returning home, he ran into 23 year old Vickrum Digwa and the two suffered had a verbal altercation.
Then, Digwa stabbed Nowak five times with a kirpan (ceremonial Sikh knife). Subsequently, Nowak succumbed to his injuries. On 28th May, 2026, Digwa was found guilty of murder and got a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years.
Were Cops Responsible for the Death of Henry Nowak
Shortly after the incident, cops arrived at the scene. Subsequently, Digwa accused Nowak of racism, claiming he had racially abused and assaulted him. The cops believed Digwa’s claims, turned him on his back and handcuffed him.
During the arrest, Nowak told cops nine times , ‘I have been stabbed’ and ‘I can’t breathe’. But the cops dismissed his claims and replied “Don’t think you have, mate” before arresting him.
Protests After the Death of Henry Nowak
Yesterday, dashcam footage from the day of Harry’s death was released. It showed a dying Harry trying to plead with the cops, but they didn’t take any action and let him bleed to death. Now many are claiming the cops could have saved Henry’s life that day with slogans such as “I can’t breathe” and “No justice, no peace”.
Some protesters marched to the home of killer Vickrum Digwa in Portswood, while others turned violent, hitting the cops with bricks, glass bottles, beer cans, flares and more. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood strongly condemned the violence at the protests and watrned that those responsible would face “full force of the law”.
One of the Involved Cops Steps Down
Recently, the Hampshire Police confirmed that one of the cops involved had resigned from his post. “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”, a spokesperson said.
PM Starmer’s Reaction
The UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer also reacted strongly to the situation and called for accountability via a post on microblogging platform X. “Henry Nowak was kind, thoughtful and much-loved. His life was stolen from him, leaving his family and loved ones devastated. The bodycam footage is harrowing. It’s absolutely right that the IOPC is looking at this. There are serious questions for the police to answer.”, the post stated.
