Overview
- Vickrum Digwa was convicted of murdering 18-year-old student Henry Nowak and sentenced to life with a minimum term of 21 years, a verdict delivered at Southampton Crown Court.
- Police released body-worn camera footage after the trial that appears to show officers initially handcuffing and doubting the wounded Nowak as he said “I’ve been stabbed” and “I can’t breathe.”
- The footage provoked large protests in Southampton that turned partly violent, with officers pelted by bricks and bottles, at least two arrests reported, and injuries to multiple officers.
- Hampshire Police self-referred the force’s response to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, the NPCC has opened a review of its Race Action Plan wording, and one officer involved has resigned while others are treated as witnesses.
- The case has widened debate over religious exemptions for ceremonial kirpans, intensified partisan attacks and online amplification that led to misidentification and threats against officers, and could prompt changes to police training and public‑order policing in the weeks ahead.