A public jury inquest will examine whether police actions or delays in medical care contributed to the death of 18-year-old Henry Nowak after he was fatally stabbed in Hampshire.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A Hampshire coroner has ordered a public jury inquest into the death of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, ruling that the proceedings must examine whether the actions of police officers, or any delay in medical treatment, may have caused or contributed to his death.
Nowak, an accounting student, was murdered in December 2025 by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, who was sentenced this week to life in prison. Digwa stabbed Nowak in the chest with a long, sharply pointed “Shastar” knife that he had carried under the pretext of his Sikh faith.
The killing has drawn national attention not only because of the circumstances of the attack, but also because Nowak was handcuffed by police as he lay dying. Hampshire police later released a portion of body-worn camera footage showing an officer moving Nowak across the ground and placing him on his side before his condition worsened.
The case has prompted public scrutiny over the officers’ response, including their decision to arrest and restrain Nowak after Digwa falsely accused him of using a racist slur and denied that a stabbing had occurred. Hampshire Constabulary has said officers believed the false claims made at the scene.
At Winchester Coroner’s Court on Thursday, Coroner Jason Pegg said the inquest would go beyond the immediate medical cause of death and examine the wider circumstances surrounding Nowak’s final moments. Because Nowak was in state custody when he died, Pegg said the state’s obligations under the right to life required a fuller public investigation.
“The scope of any inquest where article two is engaged is not simply how someone came by their death, but also in what broader circumstances,” Pegg said. “I am not satisfied that the investigations that have taken place to date in relation to the death of Henry Nowak have fully discharged the investigative article two obligation.
“Indeed, those other investigations were not and are not necessarily intended to discharge such obligations. The issue in this case is likely to be whether any act or omission by a police officer or any delay in the treatment Henry Nowak received caused or contributed to death.”
The criminal trial included pathology evidence indicating that Nowak’s fatal injury was already unsurvivable by the time police arrived. Pegg said any further findings during the inquest would not necessarily undermine that pathology evidence, because an inquest serves a different purpose and may consider broader issues than those examined in a criminal proceeding.
The coroner said the inquest will be held in public, will involve a jury and will allow Nowak’s family to participate. The proceedings are currently expected in late 2027, though the coroner reportedly said he hoped the date could be moved forward because of the nature of the case.
Hampshire Constabulary has already been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct because Nowak died while in police custody.
Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Robert France apologized last week for the treatment Nowak received after officers reached the scene.
“I am deeply sorry that Henry could not be saved,” France said. “I am deeply sorry that in the moments he lost consciousness, he had been handcuffed and arrested.”
Hampshire Chief Constable Alexis Boon issued another apology this week, calling Nowak’s death a tragedy.
“I really feel for the family… I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through this,” Boon said.
Boon also urged the public not to reach conclusions before the independent investigation is complete.
“What we have currently is an independent investigation into what happened,” Boon said. “I’d just ask people not to pre-judge that independent investigation or make assumptions because it needs to consider all the evidence, and let the officers talk about their point of view as well so there is a fair and independent investigation.”
The inquest will now determine whether the conduct of officers, the decision to restrain Nowak, or the timing of medical intervention formed part of the chain of events that led to his death.
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