Henry Nowak’s murder has ignited a national row – but who was the ‘ambitious’ teen?
The finance student was the first in his family to go to university, the 18-year-old has been remembered as “kind, hard-working and ambitious”. What, according to the judge that presided at his murderer’s trial, led to his killing?
Henry Nowak. Pic: Family handout
The footage of Henry Nowak being handcuffed as he lay dying on the ground has provoked intense debate over the past few days.
The student at Southampton University was described by a judge as a “kind, hard-working and ambitious young man” who was devoted to his family, and someone for whom any accusation of racism was “completely at odds” with his character.
But, alone and under the drink-drive limit while on his way home from a night out, he was brutally stabbed to death by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa following an altercation in the street.
So who was the 18-year-old whose death prompted protesters to clash with officers in Southampton – and what happened to him?
‘Kind, hard-working young man’
Mr Nowak was one of four siblings and grew up in Chafford Hundred in Essex.
A first-year student at Southampton University, where he studied accounting and finance, he was the first in his family to go to university.
He was described as a “kind, hard-working and ambitious young man” who was devoted to his family, in the sentencing remarks handed down by Judge William Mousley.
Mr Nowak’s father, Mark, broke down in tears as he read his victim impact statement to the court.
“There is a Henry-shaped hole in our family forever, and nothing will heal that,” he said.
He added: “If I could swap places so the four of them could be together again, I would do so in a heartbeat.”
Henry’s mother, Lucy Ross, said in a statement to the court that the circumstances of her son’s death were “so tragic and unimaginable that the pain is beyond anything I knew existed”.
She said Henry had been the first grandchild of her parents to go to university, and it was a moment that had “filled all of us with immense pride”.
Mr Nowak’s godmother, Kelly Hatchard, said in a Facebook tribute he was a “loving, caring, intelligent and hardworking” teen.
“To me, Henry wasn’t a headline or a court case,” she wrote. “He was my best friend’s funny, caring, cheeky son.
“Henry had a way of making people smile without even trying. He had so much life ahead of him, so many plans, and so much love to give.”
His sister Olivia Nowak said she was “proud to be his big sister.”
In a Facebook post in January, she described how 600 mourners from the local community had attended his funeral, with many others lining the street outside his old school to pay tribute.
“The amount of love that was in one room just shows how well Henry carried himself throughout his life,” she said.
What happened?
The life came to a premature end on 3 December when, after an evening out, Mr Nowak walked back to his university accommodation and passed Digwa on Belmont Road.
During sentencing remarks, Justice Mousley described how Henry was alone and unarmed when he took a route past the entrance to the road where Digwa lived with his family.
The judge said to Digwa: “Henry was not drunk but may have been affected a little by the small amount of alcohol he had consumed over the previous few hours… His blood alcohol level… was below the legal limit for driving. You happened to be walking… on the same pavement. It was to be a chance meeting.
“You claimed he [Mr Nowak] deliberately barged into you. I am sure that was one of the many lies you have told. However, there was an interaction between you both.”
The judge added that the finance student, who was filming on his mobile, had “perhaps cheekily” asked Digwa if he was a “bad man”, which may have been because of the large, sheathed dagger Digwa carried as a practising Sikh.
“The tone of his voice was not aggressive or threatening, but, as it turned out, a tragic error of judgment,” the judge said.
Justice Mousley continued: “You moved towards him and, confidently, told him that you were ‘a bad man’… the response, I believe, of someone who thought they were being disrespected.”
After Digwa grabbed Mr Nowak’s mobile, the judge speculated “that may have led to a physical struggle”, which culminated in Digwa using his dagger to stab Mr Nowak several times, including an 8cm deep wound to his chest, “cutting an important vein” that proved fatal.
The judge said Digwa also stabbed him twice in the upper leg and again in the groin. Mr Nowak’s face was also slashed.
“One or more of the four stabs must have had an immediate effect, as Henry was never able to put up his hands to defend himself from further serious injury,” the judge said.
Digwa, in contrast, had little, if any, injury and filmed Mr Nowak trying to get away, ignoring “much of his desperation at having been stabbed”.
“You told him that had not happened, no doubt to convince others who were nearby,” the judge said. “Your attitude did not change even though Henry was clearly going downhill very fast.”
Digwa told police Mr Nowak had racially abused him, a claim which Justice Mousley branded as “wicked lies”, with any accusation of racism “completely at odds” with Henry’s “previous character”.
In the footage of Mr Nowak being handcuffed as he told police he had been stabbed, an officer can be heard replying: “Don’t think you have, mate.”
Ms Hatchard wrote: “This image, we will never, ever be able to erase from our minds. Family, friends and now the world will have seen that image, and we all have to live with it forever.
“Shame on the monster who took you, shame on the police officer who should have helped you and shame on the organisation that trained the police officer to side with an incorrect racist slur over a dying young man. Shame on you all!!”
