Police Officers Who Handcuffed Henry Nowak Took 8 Minutes To Realise He Had Been Stabbed
Newly-released transcripts have confirmed that Hampshire police officers took roughly eight minutes to discover the fatal chest stab wound of 18-year-old Henry Nowak after arriving at the scene.
The first thing the officers did was put Henry in handcuffs after his killer, Vickrum Digwa, falsely claimed that the student had racially abused him. By the time they realised Henry had been stabbed – which he repeatedly told them as he lay dying – 8 crucial minutes had passed.
Attempts to save his life continued for another 51 minutes until an emergency doctor, flown in by helicopter, confirmed his death.
Here’s the full transcript from the officers at the scene:
MALE POLICE OFFICER: I’m not sure he’s breathing.
FEMALE POLICE OFFICER: (Checks for pulse in neck)
MALE OFFICER: He’s not breathing.
FEMALE OFFICER: Right let’s get the handcuffs off.
MALE OFFICER: Let them know he’s not breathing.
FEMALE OFFICER: Yeah. (Talks on police radio). From 4-8 we don’t think he’s breathing. Could we get another unit here please? Got no pulse.
MALE POLICE OFFICER: (Unlocks handcuffs). Medic or anything. ARV.
FEMALE OFFICER: (Talks on police radio). ARV towards [us] if we’ve got them with a defib.
MALE OFFICER: (Removes handcuffs)
MALE OFFICER: He’s not unconscious mate, he’s not breathing. (Continues chest compressions). Come on mate. That’s it, that’s it. Keep breathing. Come on. (Pauses briefly). No.
FEMALE OFFICER: No? Keep going.
MALE OFFICER: Come on mate. Stay with us.
FEMALE OFFICER: Yeah, that’s it mate, come on.
MALE OFFICER: That’s it. Come on, take a breath. (Continues chest compressions). That’s it bro, I got you. Come on.
FEMALE OFFICER: (Talks on radio). Go ahead? Thank you. Do you wanna swap?
MALE OFFICER: No, I’m alright.
FEMALE OFFICER: Sure?
MALE OFFICER: Come on mate. Come on. That’s it. That’s it.
FEMALE OFFICER: Have you, can you put a torch … I just wanna make sure that he hasn’t been stabbed. Are you alright to hold it? Thank you.
FEMALE OFFICER 2: (Walks into view). Do you want me to do it? Here you are.
FEMALE OFFICER: Cheers mate. (Passes torch to female police officer). Right, they’re gonna want him down to skin level for defib.
FEMALE OFFICER 2: I’ve got some … oh SCAS are here.
FEMALE OFFICER: Have you got scissors? Grab some scissors.
MALE OFFICER: (Continues chest compressions). Come on mate. (Whispers). He’s fucking gone. He’s got blood coming out his nose. (Talks quietly). He’s fucking gone.
FEMALE OFFICER: Right, if you stretch that clothing for me. Stretch it out. Perfect. (Unseen gesture/cutting of clothing). There’s a lot of blood.
MALE OFFICER: Has he been stabbed there?
FEMALE OFFICER: Yeah, he’s got a stab… there’s a mark there.
MALE OFFICER: That makes it worse. He’s got a stab… I’m pushing on a fucking stab wound. (Sound of clothing being ripped)
FEMALE OFFICER: That’s okay. It’s fine. It’s not… it’s not coming out. It’s fine. Keep going. Keep going. It’s not bleeding out.
MALE OFFICER: (Continues chest compressions)
At this point, a paramedic arrives and takes over. The transcript ends at 23:46. Nowak was pronounced dead at the scene at 00:37.
Just such a tragic and unneccessary way for Henry Nowak to lose his life. Who knows? If the police had listened when he told them he had been stabbed and couldn’t breathe, they may have been able to work fast enough to save his life.
Instead, they asked Vickrum Digwa about his non-existent head injuries and believed every every lie he told them about Henry racially abusing and attacking him, while Henry lay dying in handcuffs.
Hampshire coroner Jason Pegg says a full inquest with a jury will be held on 20 September 2027, although he hopes the date will be brought forward.
The coroner added: “An issue in this case is whether any act or omission by police officers… caused or contributed to the death.”
Even if there was nothing the police could have done to save Henry’s life at that point, it was still a dismal display of policing from which lessons must be learnt moving forward.
Meanwhile, Vickrum Digwa has been given a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years. The latest is that he’s been ‘cowering’ in his cell as fellow inmates keep threatening him. Sounds about right.
