Henry Nowak murder to be examined in independent review, Shabana Mahmood confirms

Home secretary Shabana Mahmood has pledged to provide answers to the family of murder victim Henry Nowak, as she announced an independent review.

Vickrum Digwa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years at Southampton Crown Court in June for the murder of the 18-year-old finance student on 3 December, 2025.

The case sparked protests and violence after a three-minute police body-worn video was released showing Nowak, from Chafford Hundred, Essex, being placed in handcuffs moments before he became unconscious and subsequently died.

The review will be led by former lord chancellor Alex Chalk and will look at “any missed opportunities to intervene”, Ms Mahmood told the Commons.

Mr Nowak was handcuffed as he lay dying, after Digwa, a Sikh, falsely accused him of racial abuse.

In police body-worn camera footage Mr Nowak can be heard repeatedly saying: “I’ve been stabbed,” to which an officer replies: “Don’t think you have, mate.”

Speaking in the Commons, Shabana Mahmood said: “Last December, Henry Nowak’s life was cut short in a horrific and senseless act of violence.

“My thoughts today are with Henry’s family and his friends, who have shown extraordinary courage and dignity.

“Today, I can announce an independent review led by a former lord chancellor, the Right Honourable Alex Chalk KC.

“It will investigate what was known about the perpetrator, including any missed opportunities to intervene, it will look at the Nowak family’s experience of the criminal justice system and whether they were supported in the manner they should have been.

“Once the Independent Office for Police Conduct has concluded its investigation into the police response, this review will also consider the actions of the IOPC and, if necessary, the police.”

She added that the full terms of reference for the review were published on Monday and an initial report will be submitted to her within five months.

Mahmood continued: “We must get to the truth of what happened before, during, and after that awful night, and we must do everything in our power to ensure that no family suffers the same fate.

“We owe that to Henry and to all who loved him, they deserve answers, and this review will provide them.”

Kiran Kaur, Digwa’s mother, was also jailed for three years for assisting an offender after she removed the knife used by her son.

When Digwa was sentenced, Mr Nowak’s father Mark Nowak said the difference between the way the killer and his son were treated was “unbearable”.

He told journalists: “His murderer… was afforded decency. He was believed. He was not handcuffed when arrested. He was not handcuffed when transported to the police station. As far as we understand, he was never handcuffed at all.

“And, as Vickrum Digwa himself told the court, while under arrest for Henry’s murder, police even took him to the kitchen so he could choose his food.

“The contrast is unbearable.”

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