Family of murdered student Henry Nowak say police hid that they handcuffed him as he lay dying

The family of Henry Nowak, stabbed to death in Southampton in December 2025, said police concealed that they handcuffed him while he bled and gave changing accounts of the night.

• Nowak, 18, a university student, was fatally stabbed in Southampton on 3 December 2025, and killer Vickrum Digwa was jailed for life.
• His family said police initially portrayed him as the aggressor, changed their account repeatedly, and failed to disclose they had handcuffed him as he died.
• Chief Constable Alexis Boon apologised, saying police failed Nowak "in his final moments, when he needed us most."
• Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced an independent inquiry into the murder, led by former lord chancellor Alex Chalk.