Henry Nowak’s family speak on ‘unbelievable pain’ after student’s murder

The family of Henry Nowak said their “world has changed twice” since the teenager was murdered – when they learned of his death and when they watched footage of his arrest that showed him being handcuffed by police as he lay dying.

Mr Nowak’s father Mark, his stepmother Katie, his mother Lucy and older sister Olivia, have spoken out for the first time about the moment they learned of his death, saying they have suffered “unbelievable pain” since the 18-year-old was fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa in Southampton in December.

In an exclusive interview for an ITV Tonight documentary, Dear Henry: Our Fight For Justice, the family recalled receiving a visit from police officers on the night as they described how Mr Nowak’s father fell to his knees and “let out a cry that I’ll never forget”.

“I jumped out of bed and I saw the police car on our driveway,” his stepmother Katie told ITV.

“One of the police officers was holding his hat in his hand, and I just knew straight away that something horrific had happened.”

She remembered Mr Nowak’s father Mark falling to his knees upon hearing the news of the student’s death, adding: “He let out a cry that I’ll never forget.”

“It was just shock,” Mark said. “I just remember saying ‘it’s Henry’ and breaking down in tears. It’s just unbelievable pain.”

News of Mr Nowak’s murder would later cause widespread political outrage when police body-worn camera footage emerged showing the student being handcuffed by officers after his attacker Vickrum Digwa, a Sikh, falsely accused him of racial abuse.

In the video, Mr Nowak can be heard repeatedly saying: “I’ve been stabbed,” to which an officer replies: “Don’t think you have, mate.”

“In the last year, our world has changed twice,” Katie told ITV. “The first time was the night that we were told that Henry had died. And the second time was when we watched that video.”

Mr Nowak’s mother Lucy recalled officers knocking on the door in the early hours and her daughter Olivia, Mr Nowak’s sister, shouting at her: “Mum, there’s police at the door.”

“They said to me, ‘Do you have a son called Henry?… ” Lucy told ITV. “‘There’s been an altercation. And unfortunately, your son has passed away’.”

“No words, no words can explain that feeling,” she added.

Digwa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years on June 1 this year, for Mr Nowak’s murder.

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

Earlier this week, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced an independent review into the student’s murder.

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 Chalk previously said the review will “follow the evidence without fear or favour”.

He said: “The murder of Henry Nowak, an innocent young man, at the hands of Vickrum Digwa shocked the nation. Serious questions have been raised about whether agencies and organisations failed to act on complaints about Digwa’s violent and erratic behaviour.

“My review will follow the evidence without fear or favour. It will also examine how public authorities treated the Nowak family at a time of unimaginable pain.

“They deserve nothing less.”

Dear Henry: Our Fight For Justice will air on Thursday November 5 at 9pm on ITV, ITVX, and the ITV News YouTube channel.