He repeated 'I can't breathe' seven times while handcuffed
In the early hours of a December night in Southampton, an eighteen-year-old student named Henry Nowak crossed paths with a stranger carrying blades, and did not survive the encounter. Vickrum Digwa, convicted of murder and sentenced to life, exploited a moment of confusion and false accusation to obscure what the cameras would later make plain: a deliberate, fatal attack on an unarmed young man. The case now asks something of all of us — about how quickly truth can be buried beneath a lie, and what systems must exist to find it before it is too late.
- A young man three months into university life was stabbed four times on a lit street and died within hours, his future extinguished in a chance encounter he could not have anticipated.
- Digwa's deliberate lies to arriving officers — claiming racial abuse and concealing his role as the attacker — resulted in the dying victim being handcuffed while repeating that he had been stabbed.
- CCTV and bodycam footage methodically dismantled Digwa's false narrative, showing Nowak unarmed, fleeing, and suffering while his attacker filmed and offered no aid.
- A jury convicted Digwa of murder after a trial that laid bare not only the killing but the calculated deception that followed it, and a judge sentenced him to a minimum of twenty-one years.
- The case has opened a wound in public confidence around police first-response protocols, raising urgent questions about how officers assess conflicting claims when a perpetrator speaks first.
Henry Nowak was eighteen years old and three months into his first year at university when he stepped out on the evening of December 3rd, 2025 — sober, alone, dressed smartly, heading back to his accommodation after a quiet night at a pub in Southampton. On Belmont Road, he encountered Vickrum Digwa, a 23-year-old man carrying two blades, including a large ceremonial dagger. Nowak filmed the weapon on his phone. Words were exchanged. Digwa took the phone. What followed, the judge reasoned, was Nowak attempting to retrieve what he believed had been taken from him.
Digwa drew the dagger and stabbed the unarmed student four times. The first wound was so catastrophic that Nowak never raised his hands in defence. Footage Digwa himself recorded shows Nowak desperately scaling a fence and collapsing onto a car in a neighbouring driveway. Digwa continued filming and made no attempt to help.
When police arrived at 23:37, Digwa lied — telling officers he had been racially abused by Nowak. Within minutes, it was the dying student who was handcuffed. Bodycam footage captured Nowak saying repeatedly that he had been stabbed and that he could not breathe. An ambulance was called only after he was already in restraints. The judge later confirmed that his injuries were unsurvivable regardless of the speed of medical intervention. He died within four hours of leaving his halls.
Digwa was convicted of murder on May 28th, 2026, and sentenced six days later to life imprisonment with a minimum term of twenty-one years. The case has since prompted difficult questions about how police assess a scene when the perpetrator is the first to speak — and what safeguards exist to ensure that a dying person's voice is not the last to be heard.
Henry Nowak was eighteen years old and three months into his first year at university when he left his halls of residence on the evening of December 3rd, 2025. The CCTV footage shows him checking his hair in a mirror before stepping out into the corridor, dressed in a white shirt, tie, and quarter-zip fleece. He bought a drink at a convenience store, went to The Hobbit pub in Southampton, and by 23:07 was walking back toward his accommodation. He was sober—his blood alcohol level was below the legal driving limit—and he was alone.
On Belmont Road, lit by streetlamps, Nowak encountered Vickrum Digwa, a 23-year-old man who was carrying two knives. One was a kirpan, a ceremonial blade that Sikh faith requires adherents to carry at all times. The other was a larger dagger, part of the tradition of the Nihang order of Sikhs, which Digwa belonged to. Nowak began filming the dagger on his phone. According to the judge's account of events, Nowak asked Digwa if he was a "bad man." Digwa claimed he was, then took the phone. What happened next was witnessed only by the two men. The judge reasoned it was reasonable to assume Nowak wanted his phone back, believing he had been robbed.
Digwa drew the dagger and stabbed the unarmed student deliberately in the chest. He stabbed him four times total—twice in the upper leg and twice elsewhere. The first wound was so severe that Nowak never managed to raise his hands to defend himself from the subsequent blows. Video footage that Digwa himself filmed shows Nowak desperately trying to escape, scaling a fence, climbing onto a communal bin, and landing on a car in the driveway of the next property. Digwa continued recording as Nowak lay suffering, making no attempt to help.
At approximately 23:30, less than half an hour after Nowak had been seen on CCTV heading home, Digwa's brother Gurpreet called 999. He told the operator that Vickrum had been attacked by someone and that the attacker had targeted them because they were Sikhs wearing turbans. He said no weapons were involved but that Nowak needed medical attention. The call lasted just under twelve minutes. Police arrived seven minutes later, at 23:37.
The bodycam footage captures four people on a driveway with Nowak on the ground. Digwa lied to the officers, telling them he had been racially abused by Nowak. One minute and eleven seconds into the recording, Nowak is heard saying he has been stabbed. He repeated "I can't breathe" seven times. At 23:38, police handcuffed Nowak. An officer announced he was under arrest and read him his rights. One minute later, an ambulance was called and officers began CPR. The judge later stated that Nowak's injuries were so catastrophic he would not have survived regardless of how quickly he received first aid or medical treatment. He died less than four hours after leaving his accommodation.
Vickrum Digwa was charged with murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place five days later. On May 28th, 2026, he was found guilty of murder. On June 1st, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of twenty-one years. The case has raised difficult questions about police response protocols when false accusations are made at a crime scene, and how quickly officers assess the actual circumstances of an incident when conflicting claims are presented.
Notable Quotes
It would not be unreasonable to conclude that Henry would have wanted his phone back, believing it had been stolen from him or that he had been robbed.— Judge Mousley, in sentencing remarks
Nowak's injuries were so severe he would not have survived, however quickly he received first aid, CPR or expert medical treatment.— Judge Mousley
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why was Nowak handcuffed if he was the one who'd been stabbed?
Because Digwa's brother called 999 claiming Vickrum had been attacked for being Sikh, and when police arrived, Digwa told them the same story. Nowak was on the ground saying he'd been stabbed, but the officers appear to have believed the false account of racial assault first.
Did the police have any way to know immediately that Digwa was lying?
Not instantly, no. But the bodycam shows Nowak repeatedly saying he'd been stabbed and couldn't breathe. The judge's remarks suggest the officers should have assessed the scene more carefully before making an arrest based on an unverified claim.
What was the significance of the knives Digwa was carrying?
One was a kirpan, which is a religious requirement in Sikhism. The other was a larger dagger associated with the Nihang order. The judge acknowledged both are part of Sikh tradition, but that context doesn't change what Digwa did with them.
So Nowak filming the knife is what triggered the confrontation?
It appears so. He noticed the dagger and started recording it on his phone. That's when Digwa claimed to be a "bad man" and took the phone. What followed was an altercation over the phone that became fatal.
How much time passed between when Nowak left his accommodation and when he died?
Less than four hours. He was seen on CCTV at 20:30 leaving his halls. He was attacked around 23:15 or so, and he died before the night was over.
Did the judge say anything about whether Nowak could have been saved if police had acted differently?
The judge was clear: Nowak's injuries were too severe. He wouldn't have survived no matter how quickly he got first aid or CPR. But that doesn't address the question of why he was arrested instead of immediately treated as a victim.