Video exposes contrast between officers’ treatment of Vickrum Digwa and his victim
The killer of student Henry Nowak was never handcuffed by police, newly released video shows.
The police body-worn video from the night of Mr Nowak’s death exposes the lies told by Vickrum Digwa, a Sikh, that he had been a victim of a racial attack, leading police officers to handcuff the university student as he lay dying.
It backs an assertion by Mr Nowak’s family that Digwa was not handcuffed. The contrast in the men’s treatment by Hampshire Police was described by the family as “unbearable”.
Digwa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years after killing 18-year-old Mr Nowak, who was walking home alone after a night out with friends in Southampton on Dec 3.
The case triggered accusations of two-tier policing because of the way Mr Nowak was handcuffed after Digwa had lied about being racially abused.
Previously released video footage of the student in handcuffs, saying, “I can’t breathe”, caused national outrage and sparked violent disorder in Southampton.
In comparison, the new footage shows that, as Digwa was arrested, police told him: “You’ve got your side of the story, mate. We don’t know what’s gone on here, OK?”
When the killer claims he was the one that was attacked, an officer says “I know, mate, I know”, before adding: “I’m not saying you’ve done anything, mate.”
Hampshire Police has also confirmed to the BBC that Digwa was never handcuffed during his four days in custody before being charged.
In a statement after the case, Mr Nowak’s father compared his son’s “inhumane and degrading” treatment by police to the “decency” officers showed his murderer.
Chris Philp, shadow home secretary, said it was “shameful” that Digwa was not handcuffed.
He said: “This shameful difference in treatment is hardly surprising when police officers are constantly drilled with extremist ideology that tells them to treat white people worse.
In the new footage, Digwa repeats his false claims he had been defending himself, that Mr Nowak was drunk, had “barged” into him, called him by an offensive racial word and told him he thought he was a “bad man”.
The body-worn video, released to the BBC by police and the Crown Prosecution Service, shows scenes at 11.47pm as paramedics try to save the student after officers handcuffed him and failed to believe his claims he had been stabbed.
As ambulance workers carry out CPR, police speak to Digwa, who immediately claims he was attacked for being Sikh.
“He pushed my turban off my head, started grabbing my hair. I’m a Sikh, obviously,” he says. “He was grabbing at my hair, dragging me around, and from there an altercation happened. He’s started stumbling around.
“I saw him from the get-go. I was like, ‘Mate, you’re clearly drunk. Carry on with your day’. He then escalated the situation, calling me a p–i and all that sort of stuff.”
Digwa then claims his family had suffered racist attacks in the past, saying: “This isn’t the first time something like this has happened.”
As Mr Nowak lies dying behind him, Digwa complains about the blue lights from emergency vehicles. He asks police to “turn the flashes off… so it’s not too much in my eyesight”.
The nine-minute video is then muted as officers check his personal details.
A male officer then speaks to him, saying: “This is really important, OK? The time now is 11.55.”
Digwa replies: “I’m tired.”
The officer continues: “OK, it’s important, mate. At this time, I’m arresting you on suspicion of attempted murder, OK?”
Digwa appears shocked as the officer reads him his rights. He says: “What do you mean, attempted murder? Why am I getting arrested?”
The officer replies: “You’ve got your side of the story, mate. We don’t know what’s gone on here, OK? So we need to find out, OK?”
Digwa again says: “But I’ve been racially attacked.” The officer replies: “I know, mate, I know,” and adds: “I’m not saying you’ve done anything, mate.”
Hampshire Police has apologised to Mr Nowak’s family for the way officers treated him before he died.
An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct has been launched, while Donna Jones, the Hampshire policing chief, has asked HM Inspectorate of Police to review the force’s actions on the night.
Earlier this week, transcripts revealed that police took eight minutes to find the stab wound that killed Mr Nowak.
Amid intense public criticism of the police response, Hampshire Police released a transcript of the full recording. It revealed the moment that officers realised Mr Nowak was not breathing, prompting frantic efforts to save him.
