Henry Nowak's family tell of trauma of seeing son handcuffed as he lay dying

Published1 November 2026, 16:00 GMT

The family of Henry Nowak have said the trauma of learning he had been murdered was made worse by watching police footage of officers handcuffing him as he lay dying.

They told ITV their "world has changed twice", first when they were told he had died, and again when they watched the body-worn camera video.

His killer, Vickrum Digwa, falsely told police Henry had racially abused him, and officers handcuffed the student as he repeatedly said he had been stabbed.

His father Mark, stepmother Katie, mother Lucy and sister Olivia were speaking to ITV for the documentary Dear Henry: Our Fight For Justice.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced an independent review into the murder, led by former lord chancellor Alex Chalk, which will look at "any missed opportunities to intervene".

Henry, 18, from Chafford Hundred in Essex, was a first-year accountancy and finance student at the University of Southampton when he was murdered.

He was stabbed five times as he walked home from a night out with friends from his football team in Southampton on 3 December 2025.

Digwa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years.

It took officers another 24 hours to identify Henry's body and tell his family.

"I jumped out of bed and I saw the police car on our driveway," said Katie.

"One of the police officers was holding his hat in his hand, and I just knew straight away that something horrific had happened."

She said Mark fell to his knees when he heard the news.

"He let out a cry that I'll never forget," she said.

"I just remember saying 'it's Henry' and breaking down in tears," Mark said. "It's just unbelievable pain."

Officers went to Lucy's home at the same time.

"We got that dreaded knock on the door at one o'clock in the morning," she said.

"They said to me, 'Do you have a son called Henry?… There's been an altercation. And unfortunately, your son has passed away'.

"No words, no words can explain that feeling."

Olivia said she rang her father after hearing the news. "I just remember this scream. It was awful. He screamed 'My boy, my boy'," she said.

She now keeps some of Henry's T-shirts on his bed and told ITV they still smell of him and give her comfort.

But Lucy said she could no longer enter his bedroom because of the memories it holds.

"I can't go in there," she said.

Coats now hang over the bedroom door so she does not have to look at it as she passes.

The murder caused widespread political outrage when the footage emerged.

In the video, Henry can be heard repeatedly saying "I've been stabbed", to which an officer replies: "Don't think you have, mate."

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating two officers for potential gross misconduct.

It is also looking at whether race, religion or prejudice affected police decisions.

The watchdog said it expected its investigation to conclude early next year.

"In the last year, our world has changed twice," Katie said.

"The first time was the night that we were told that Henry had died. And the second time was when we watched that video."

Digwa's mother, Kiran Kaur, was jailed for three years for assisting an offender after she removed the knife used by her son.

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Chalk said: "Serious questions have been raised about whether agencies and organisations failed to act on complaints about Digwa's violent and erratic behaviour.

"My review will follow the evidence without fear or favour. It will also examine how public authorities treated the Nowak family at a time of unimaginable pain."

Dear Henry: Our Fight For Justice, a Tonight special, airs on Thursday 5 November at 21:00 GMT on ITV, ITVX and the ITV News YouTube channel.

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