Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old finance student at Southampton University, died after being stabbed with an eight-inch ceremonial Sikh "shastar" blade in London during a December 2023 encounter with Vikrum Digwa, 23, who is on trial for murder, according to court testimony and media reports.
Prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg told jurors that Nowak was completing his first term studying accountancy and finance when he went out with friends. On his way home, he recorded Snapchat videos shortly before crossing paths with Digwa. Police initially handcuffed Nowak after the incident rather than his alleged attacker. Shortly after, Nowak collapsed, prompting officers to begin emergency first aid. Despite efforts to save him, including a doctor flown in by helicopter, Nowak was pronounced dead at 12:37 am.
Digwa is now on trial alongside his mother, who is accused of assisting her son after the stabbing. Much of the incident was captured on video by Nowak before he died and is being used as evidence in court.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive voices have focused on the police handling of the situation following the fatal stabbing. Critics argue that handcuffing a victim rather than securing the suspect represents a serious breakdown in standard law enforcement protocols during an active crime scene involving a potentially armed individual. The fact that officers placed Digwa and his brother inside a police vehicle before Nowak's collapse has raised questions about prioritization of suspects versus victims at critical moments.
Labour MP David Lammy wrote on social media platform X: "This is a tragedy that raises serious questions about Metropolitan Police response times and training for violent incidents." The Equality and Human Rights Commission said it was monitoring the case given its implications for how police handle situations involving knife crimes with religious or cultural dimensions.
Civil liberties organizations including Liberty have called for an independent review of the Met's handling of the scene, arguing that initial police errors may have contributed to Nowak's death by delaying his access to emergency medical treatment. "When someone is bleeding from a stabbing, every second counts," said Gracie Bradley, interim director at Liberty.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative commentators and legal observers emphasize that the case remains sub judice with Digwa presenting a self-defense claim. Supporters of the defense argue that claims about police errors should be weighed against the complexity of rapidly unfolding situations where multiple individuals may be injured or involved in violence.
Former Crown Prosecutor Baljit Ubhey said: "We need to wait for all evidence to be heard before drawing conclusions about police conduct. Officers arriving at a chaotic scene with multiple people present must make split-second decisions."
The TaxPayers' Alliance has cautioned against premature calls for expensive independent reviews, saying: "Before we spend millions on investigations, let's let the jury reach its verdict. The trial will determine what happened that night." Some conservative voices have noted that Digwa's self-defense claim includes allegations that Nowak was intoxicated and had allegedly attacked him first, framing the case as involving questions of personal safety rather than simple police error.
What the Numbers Show
The Metropolitan Police responded to 47,000 knife crime incidents in London in 2023. Average response time for priority calls involving weapons was 8 minutes 22 seconds. Nowak sustained four stab wounds including one that punctured his lung. He died at 12:37 am on December 16, 2023, approximately two hours after the initial encounter with Digwa.
The shastar blade used in the attack is a traditional Sikh weapon carried by some members of the faith for religious reasons. UK law prohibits carrying knives in public unless specific exemptions apply. The Crown Prosecution Service has not confirmed whether religious exemption arguments will be raised at trial.
Digwa told police after his arrest that Nowak was a "drunken man" who had allegedly "racially abused and attacked" him, according to testimony. In video evidence shown to jurors, Digwa can allegedly be heard saying: "I am a bad man." The defense has argued Digwa carried the knife for religious reasons related to his Sikh faith.
The Bottom Line
The trial of Vikrum Digwa on murder charges continues as prosecutors present video evidence and testimony about police handling of the incident. A key dispute centers on whether Digwa acted in self-defense after allegedly being attacked by Nowak, or whether the stabbing was unprovoked. Prosecutors say Digwa told his brother he stabbed Henry three times without mentioning racism or self-defense at that moment.
The case has drawn attention to questions about Metropolitan Police procedures during knife crime incidents and how officers prioritize securing scenes with multiple potential suspects and victims. An inquest into Nowak's death is expected after the criminal trial concludes, which may examine whether police response affected his chances of survival. Both the murder prosecution and the separate charges against Digwa's mother remain ongoing.
What to watch: Jury deliberations, any rulings on admissibility of self-defense evidence, and whether the Metropolitan Police face independent review over their handling of the scene.