Former Police Superintendent questions if ‘conditioning’ officers on racism led to treatment of murdered teen Henry Nowak

A former Police Superintendent has suggested the “conditioning” of officers may have led to the treatment of murdered teen Henry Nowak.

Speaking to GB News, Martin Gallagher reacted after Hampshire Constabulary apologised for treating the 18-year-old as a racism suspect in the last moments of his life.

The apology followed the guilty verdict of Sikh man Vickrum Digwa for murdering the university student in Southampton on the night of December 3, 2025.

Digwa accused the late teenager of racism as police arrived, prompting them to handcuff him before he succumbed to stab wounds.

“We've conditioned our officers not to be wise and not to be circumspect,” Mr Gallagher began.

“They prioritise certain behaviours above others, probably to the detriment of the public. And sadly, it looks like it was to the detriment of Henry Novak.”

“We keep on conditioning and conditioning our officers around institutional racism.

“Decision making has been grossly affected by this, the constant messaging of them being racist, which is not true. So they are overcompensating for that,” he warned.

“Diversity training began in 2004, 22 years ago. When do we accept that society has moved on and that the police need to move on?

“Society has changed, and the police need to reassess their priorities, which should be about crime. They shouldn't be about people's feelings,” Mr Gallagher said.

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