Newly released Hampshire Police bodycam footage from the night 18-year-old Henry Nowak was fatally stabbed has raised serious questions about the officers’ immediate response at the scene.
The edited footage, approximately three minutes long and released with the family’s consent following Vickrum Digwa’s sentencing for murder, captures officers arriving shortly after the incident on Belmont Road in Portswood on 3 December 2025.
According to detailed analysis of the bodycam video: At 12 seconds: Digwa’s father, who was holding Nowak upright, states that the teenager has “a mouthful of blood” and is repeatedly dropping to the side.
At 32 seconds: A male officer asks, “Has anyone else been hurt other than him?” — indicating awareness that Henry Nowak was the injured party.
Despite Nowak repeatedly telling officers he had been stabbed and could not breathe, the footage shows no immediate call for medical assistance.
At 1 minute 41 seconds: The male officer notes, “He’s saying he’s been stabbed.” Digwa is heard denying the stabbing. A female officer responds, “Yeah but we have to check don’t we,” to which Digwa replies casually, “Yeah that’s fine.”
At 2 minutes 40 seconds: Officers finally call for an ambulance, describing the situation as a “beat up” rather than a stabbing.
At 2 minutes 50 seconds: The female officer observes in a casual tone, “His pupils aren’t even reacting.”
Nowak was handcuffed while lying on his side and arrested on suspicion of assault based on accounts from Digwa and his family. He became unresponsive shortly afterwards. The released footage cuts during subsequent CPR efforts. Nowak was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:37 am.
Hampshire Police have acknowledged that officers were initially “misled” by information provided at the scene. An IOPC investigation into the officers’ actions, including the decision to handcuff Nowak and the timing of medical aid, remains ongoing.
The footage has prompted widespread concern over the apparent prioritisation of Digwa’s version of events — in which he claimed Nowak had racially abused and assaulted him — despite visible signs of serious injury to the teenager.
Henry Nowak’s family has called for full transparency and the release of any additional bodycam material. Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years for the murder. His mother was convicted of assisting an offender.
This case continues to spark debate about police handling of knife crime incidents and scene assessment protocols.
