Officers Investigated for Gross Misconduct in Henry Nowak Case

Two Hampshire Constabulary police officers are facing gross misconduct investigations over their handling of a fatal stabbing after they handcuffed 18-year-old victim Henry Nowak as he was dying.

Henry Nowak was fatally stabbed in Southampton in December 2025 by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa. Upon arriving at the scene, the two initial officers ignored Nowak's statements that he had been stabbed and was unable to breathe. Instead of providing immediate first aid or recognizing that Nowak required urgent medical attention, they chose to arrest and handcuff the teenager, treating him as a suspect after Digwa, who carried a large blade under the guise of his Sikh faith, falsely informed the attending police that he was the target of a racially motivated assault from Nowak. 

Digwa himself was not handcuffed even when he was later arrested for attempted murder. Digwa was convicted of murder and received a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years, though senior government law officers are currently appealing the sentence on the grounds that it is unduly lenient.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) initially treated the responding officers as witnesses, indicating that they believed no wrongdoing had occurred. However, following discussions with Nowak's family and their legal representative, alongside formal complaints from the family, the watchdog upgraded the status of the incident to a gross misconduct investigation. The expanded inquiry will also look into the actions of control room staff, the handling of emergency calls, and the information shared with both the officers and the ambulance service.

The IOPC noted that the officers may have violated multiple professional standards. In an official statement, the watchdog stated:

“The evidence indicates that both officers – who were the first to arrive at the scene late in the evening of 3 December 2025 – may have potentially breached the professional behaviour standards of duties and responsibilities, use of force, and discreditable conduct.

“These relate to potential failures by the officers to recognise that Henry needed urgent medical attention, to immediately act after he said he had been stabbed and he couldn’t breathe, and the decision to arrest and handcuff Henry rather than provide immediate first aid.”

The watchdog added: “There’s also an indication one of the officers may have breached the standard relating to authority, respect and courtesy, for appearing to dismiss Henry saying he had been stabbed.”

Investigators are also looking into whether racial or religious dynamics influenced how the case was handled. The IOPC said it would look at “whether the race or religion of either Henry or the Digwa family impacted on the actions and decision-making of the officers, whether officers’ decisions were influenced by assumptions or prejudice relating to community tensions at the time”. The incident previously sparked far-right claims of an anti-white bias regarding the treatment of Nowak.

IOPC director of engagement Derrick Campbell confirmed that investigators met with Nowak's family to discuss the case details following the conclusion of the criminal trial. Commenting on the situation, Campbell stated:

“Two officers will now face gross misconduct investigations. There is clear evidence that public confidence in the force may have been seriously harmed by this incident, and that is a factor we must consider when assessing the evidence.

“The serving of gross misconduct notices does not necessarily mean that disciplinary proceedings will follow. At the end of our investigation, we will decide whether any officers should face disciplinary proceedings.”

Campbell went on to say: “It is also an important part of our role to identify whether any changes are needed to national or force policies or procedures, to improve police practice.”

The final decision regarding potential disciplinary action will be determined at the conclusion of the investigation, following an evaluation of feedback from both the police force and Nowak's family.