Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old British university student, was reportedly handcuffed by police after being stabbed by a Sikh man, before collapsing in the street and dying moments later, according to details presented during an ongoing murder trial in Southampton, United Kingdom.
Prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg KC told the court that officers restrained the victim after the alleged attacker claimed he had been racially abused by Nowak. The stabbing, and the allegations of serious police misconduct surrounding it, stem from an incident that took place during the night of 3 December 2025 in Southampton’s Portswood district.
Nowak, a first-year accountancy and finance student, was allegedly stabbed by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa during a street fight between the two men. Prosecutors further stated that the suspect used an eight-inch Sikh ceremonial knife, commonly referred to as a kirpan or shastar.
After being stabbed, Nowak reportedly attempted to flee, trying to climb over a fence while bleeding heavily.
The suspect allegedly ‘aggressively pursued’ the wounded teenager through the street until police officers arrived at the scene. Digwa reportedly told officers that Nowak had racially abused him. According to the prosecution’s account presented in court, officers then handcuffed the severely injured teenager despite his visible stab wounds.
A short time later, Nowak collapsed in the street and lost consciousness. Emergency services attempted to save him, but he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards at the scene.
Digwa denies murder and claims he acted in self-defence.
🇬🇧 British student Henry Nowak gets randomly stabbed by a Sikh guy with a legally permitted ceremonial sword.
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 14, 2026
Cops arrived, the attacker claimed “racial abuse,” so they arrest the bleeding victim.
Nowak died in custody.
When this nightmare in the UK ends, save the names and… pic.twitter.com/Dn7SbSCq90
The case triggered immediate backlash on British social media, particularly among right-wing anti-immigration commentators and supporters of Reform UK, over what critics described as ‘two-tier policing’ in Britain.
Much of the outrage centred on the decision to handcuff a visibly bleeding white British teenager while, according to critics, immediately accepting claims of racial abuse made by the alleged attacker, who is reportedly from a Sikh immigrant background and was allegedly wearing a turban at the time.
Nowak’s death also reignited criticism of Britain’s legal exemptions allowing Sikhs to carry ceremonial blades in public for religious reasons. However, according to the prosecution, Digwa’s weapon exceeded what would normally qualify as a protected ceremonial item under the relevant legal framework.
The trial has generated further controversy because prosecutors also accuse the suspect’s mother, Kiran Kaur, of assisting Digwa by allegedly removing the knife from the scene and taking it back to the family home after the stabbing. She denies the charge.
British police have not publicly provided a detailed explanation regarding the allegations surrounding officers’ actions at the scene, and there is currently no indication that any officer involved faces criminal charges or disciplinary consequences.
In earlier statements following the murder, police described Henry Nowak as a young student with ‘a promising future ahead of him’. His family remembered him as an ‘all-round top lad’ who had only recently begun university life and loved every moment of it.
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