Newly released police bodycam footage has exposed the disturbing extent of lies told by Vickrum Digwa, convicted murderer of 18-year-old Southampton university student Henry Nowak. The harrowing video, obtained by the BBC following a request under Freedom of Information laws, paints a damning picture of the hours leading up to Henry's tragic death in December.
Digwa repeatedly made false claims to officers on the night of the incident, insisting he had been racially attacked by Henry and claiming the student was 'obviously drunk'. He alleged that Henry had 'barged' into him, used an offensive racial slur, and challenged him, leading to a physical altercation in which Henry supposedly grabbed his turban and hair. However, Southampton Crown Court heard during the trial that Henry's blood alcohol level was low enough to pass a breathalyser test, directly contradicting Digwa's assertions.
The footage highlights a stark contrast in the treatment of the two individuals involved. Contrary to initial reports that police had handcuffed Henry while he lay dying – an incident which sparked national outrage and public disorder in Southampton – the new video confirms that Digga was 'never handcuffed' during his four days in custody before being charged, as previously confirmed by Hampshire Police. Mark Nowak, Henry's father from Chafford Hundred in Essex, described his son's treatment at the hands of police as 'inhumane and degrading', a sentiment echoed by those outraged by the incident.
During Digwa's trial, the jury heard that he maintained his fabricated account throughout, claiming Henry had knocked off his turban and that he had stabbed in self-defence with his hair in his eyes. However, video evidence taken before police arrived contradicts this claim, showing Digwa's hair 'tied up on his head neatly', while the officers' bodycam footage shows it appearing 'undone and hanging loose'. A prosecutor described this as a demonstration of the untruthfulness of Digwa's claims and the dishonesty behind his self-defence claim from the outset.
The released footage begins at 23:47 GMT, as medics took over CPR attempts on Henry. During resuscitation efforts, Digwa was seen complaining about emergency vehicle lights, asking for them to be turned off or moved so they didn't bother him. He was eventually arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after officers discussed a bystander-filmed video, prompting Digwa's apparent confusion and complaints of tiredness.