The murder of University of Southampton student Henry Nowak has taken a new political turn after Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly questioned police conduct shown in newly releasedbodycam footage.
The footage captures officers handcuffing the dying 18-year-old moments after he was stabbed, apparently accepting claims made by his killer, Vickrum Digwa. Starmer said the images left him feeling 'sick' and raised 'serious questions' about police decision-making.
The case has become a national debate over knife crime, policing, race allegations and public trust in law enforcement.
Speaking on Tuesday,Starmer described the footagefrom the scene of Henry Nowak's murder as 'harrowing' and said he understood why the teenager's family were demanding answers.
'As a father, I felt sick watching it,' the Prime Minister said, adding that there were 'serious questions for the police' about how accusations of racism influenced officers' actions that night.
The footage, released with the family's permission, shows Nowak repeatedly saying, 'I've been stabbed' and 'I can't breathe' while officers initially focused on claims made by Digwa. One officer is heard responding, 'I don't think you have, mate.'
Starmer backed the ongoing investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and did not rule out further enquiries once its findings are published.
Nowak, an 18-year-old finance and accountancy student, was walking home after a night out with university friends on 3 December 2025 when he encountered 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa in Southampton.
Court evidence showed Nowak filmed Digwa on Snapchat after spotting a large bladed weapon carried openly in a sheath. 'You're a bad man,' Nowak joked in the video. 'I am a bad man,' Digwa replied.
Minutes later, Digwa chased and stabbed him five times, including a fatal wound to the chest. The jury later rejected Digwa's claims of self-defence and found him guilty of murder.
Source: International Business Times UK
