Police watchdog investigates handcuffing of dying Southampton stabbing victim

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating two Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary officers over their contact with Henry Nowak in the moments before the 18-year-old died after a stabbing in Southampton’s Portswood area. The inquiry covers the arrest, the use of handcuffs and the first aid given to Henry, and it will fully establish the circumstances, including whether any officer may have committed misconduct.

Hampshire Police referred the matter to the watchdog on 4 December 2025, the same day Henry was stabbed. The case now triggers an Article 2 investigative duty because Henry died in state custody after being handcuffed.

Chief Constable Alexis Boon called the case an “absolute tragedy” and said officers had been misled at the scene. Hampshire Police also urged the public not to turn the demand for answers and accountability into threats or violence against officers.

Vickrum Digwa, 23, was convicted on 28 May 2026 at Southampton Crown Court of murdering Henry and possessing a bladed article in a public place. Henry was on his way home from a night out with friends when Digwa stabbed him five times, causing significant internal bleeding from a chest wound that was difficult to find. Digwa filmed Henry as he sat on the floor instead of calling an ambulance or police, and Digwa’s mother removed the knife from the scene.

The University of Southampton confirmed that Henry was one of its students and said he had “touched many lives” during his short time there.

In June 2026, a Hampshire coroner ordered a full jury inquest into Henry’s death to examine whether police actions or delays in treatment contributed to it. The coroner will consider whether officers failed to detect the stab wound for several minutes.