“I can’t breathe”: student’s final pleas on bodycam
Body-worn camera footage released with the consent of his family has shed new light on the final moments of 18-year-old Southampton student Henry Nowak, who died after being stabbed during a 2025 attack.
The footage, now central to public debate over police conduct, shows Nowak repeatedly telling officers “I can’t breathe” as he lay on the ground in handcuffs, moments after suffering serious stab wounds.
Nowak had been attacked with a large bladed weapon during an incident involving 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, who was later convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years.
According to court findings and police accounts, Digwa initially misled officers at the scene by claiming he had been the victim of a racist assault. Officers arriving at the location were first confronted with conflicting accounts of what had taken place.
Footage shows Nowak on the ground insisting he had been stabbed and struggling to remain conscious while officers questioned him. At one point, an officer is heard suggesting that he did not appear to be injured in the way he described.
As the situation developed, Nowak was handcuffed while still repeatedly stating that he could not breathe. Officers then attempted to assess his condition before beginning emergency CPR within minutes of their interaction with him, according to police statements.
Hampshire Constabulary has defended its officers’ response, with senior officials saying that medical intervention was initiated quickly after they realised the severity of his condition. The force also said a pathologist concluded that nothing further could have been done to save him due to the extent of internal bleeding caused by the stab wound to his heart.
However, the handling of the incident has sparked criticism from Nowak’s family, who described his treatment as “inhumane and degrading.” His father, Mark Nowak, said his son told officers multiple times that he had been stabbed and could not breathe before being restrained.
He also questioned why the victim was handcuffed while the attacker was initially treated differently at the scene, calling the contrast “unbearable.”
Police leaders have expressed regret over aspects of the incident while maintaining that officers acted in line with their understanding of the situation at the time. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has confirmed that it is still investigating the actions of attending officers, reviewing bodycam footage and other evidence from the scene.
The case has also prompted wider political reaction in the United Kingdom, with senior government figures and opposition leaders commenting on the tragedy and the broader issue of knife crime.
Public debate has further intensified around the circumstances of the attack, particularly the weapon used. Digwa claimed during proceedings that he carried a blade as part of his Sikh faith, but community representatives have since stated that the weapon used in the killing was not a ceremonial kirpan.
Authorities have confirmed that further legal proceedings are ongoing, including consideration of whether Digwa’s sentence should be reviewed under the “unduly lenient sentence” scheme. Separately, a member of Digwa’s family is expected to be sentenced for assisting an offender.
As investigations continue, the case has raised wider questions about emergency response protocols, split-second decision-making by officers, and the challenges faced by police when dealing with violent and rapidly evolving crime scenes.
Source: BBC
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