Henry Nowak murder inquest will probe actions of police: Coroner to investigate whether officers caused or contributed to the death of the student

By AIDAN RADNEDGE, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 11:28, 4 June 2026 | Updated: 11:29, 4 June 2026 An inquest into the murder of Henry Nowak will probe whether police officers caused or contributed to his death, a coroner has said. Henry, a first-year student at the University of Southampton, was stabbed by Vickrum Digwa, 23, who falsely told officers that he had been racially abused and attacked. Hampshire Police chief constable Alexis Boon yesterday apologised to Henry's family for the student being handcuffed and arrested as he lay dying. Digwa, 23, was jailed on Monday for life with a minimum of 21 years after he stabbed Henry to death last year. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police have come under intense scrutiny for their conduct after they handcuffed Henry and ignored his pleas that he had been stabbed and could not breathe. Digwa had lied to police that he had been the victim of a racist attack at the hands of Henry. The incident is now being investigated by the police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Hampshire's area coroner Jason Pegg today told a court the inquest at Winchester Coroner's Court would consider whether police actions might have 'caused or contributed to' Mr Nowak's death. Henry Nowak (pictured), a first-year student at the University of Southampton, was stabbed by Vickrum Digwa, 23, who falsely told officers that he had been racially abused and attacked Vickrum Digwa (pictured), 23, was jailed on Monday for life with a minimum of 21 years after he stabbed Henry Nowak to death last year He also expressed regret that the inquest had been scheduled for as long off as September 20 next year - though hoped it might be brought sooner. Before adjourning the inquest to that date, Mr Pegg said: 'After having carefully considered all of the relevant matters before me, I do direct that the inquest touching the death of Henry Nowak be resumed. 'And I say that being satisfied that there are sufficient reasons including to allow public and family scrutiny of all the circumstances by which Henry came by his death and to meet obligations under article two. 'I will hear the inquest sitting with a jury in due course. 'I am going to adjourn the inquest to September 20 2027. I recognise that date is some time away. It might be that the inquest is brought forward and I hope that it is.' Mr Pegg told how Mr Nowak’s medical cause of death was given in a post-mortem examination as 'a stab wound to chest'. The coroner said: 'When Henry Nowak died, he had been arrested – he was in custody of the state. 'What that means is article two, or the right to life, the investigative duty has been triggered. Henry Nowak (pictured) was stabbed to death in Southampton on December 3 2025 '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. '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.' Mr Pegg added: '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. 'An inquest will allow such scrutiny, it will be a public hearing on the broad circumstances by which Henry came by his death. 'Having an inquest will allow Henry’s family to effectively participate in those proceedings.' Political outcry about the murder has centred on how officers dealt with Henry before his death. The case has prompted accusations that police equality guidance influenced the disparity in how Henry and his killer were initially treated. Henry's killer Vickrum Digwa falsely claimed to police he had been racially abused and had suffered an eye injury on the night he carried out the lethal stabbing Reform UK leader Nigel Farage suggested the public should feel 'pure, cold rage' and warned division will get 'far worse' if policing culture was not changed. But Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer branded Mr Farage 'unforgiveable' for his remarks. Referring to Henry's family, who have urged politicians and the public against using the case to sow division, Sir Keir told the House of Commons: 'That's his (Mr Farage's) response to a father who has lost his son and asked for that not to happen.' Sir Keir also condemned riots on Tuesday in Southampton following the case's conclusion, which led to the injury of 11 police officers and a police dog. Matt Styler, 50, has since been charged with assaulting a police officer, and Daniel Frost, 44, has been charged with violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon. They will both appear at Southampton Magistrates' Court today. The case has prompted comparisons from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch with the murder of 18-year-old Stephen Lawrence in London in 1993, which led to an inquiry that found 'institutional racism' in the Metropolitan Police and other forces. Meanwhile the president of the National Black Police Association has warned of an 'auto-correction' to policing in response to Henry's murder. Police Service of Northern Ireland officer Andy George told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'There's definitely lessons to be learned from the Henry Nowak case and if the IOPC sees through their thorough investigation that there are things that need to be done and changed – then certainly that's the time when things should be looked at. Floral tributes to Henry Nowak have been left at  Portswood police station in Southampton Protests turned violent in Southampton on Tuesday night in relation to the case 'For us to go forward and for the policing minister to say 'that needs to be corrected or looked into right now' – for us, when we've pushed for things that impact black communities or black individuals, we've never seen policing move as quick as what they're advocating for right now. 'So, I would say it is definitely an auto-correction – it's very swift, it's quick – I don't think it's as well thought-out as it should be. I think it's reactive to the current swell that we're seeing in social media and across different areas of public life at the minute.' Lucy Rigby, chief secretary to the treasury, said today that it was a 'slur' on police officers working to keep the public safe to suggest that two-tier policing is taking place. But she added that it was the 'right thing to do' to look again at police equality guidance, telling Sky News: 'Really, fundamentally, I think that is a slur on the thousands of police officers that go out to work every day, putting themselves in harm's way to serve the public, to try and prevent crime, and to keep us all safe. 'So, I think that the suggestion, in light of that, that we have two-tier policing, which suggests at its heart that the police are on a sort of systemic basis pushing the interests of one group above another. 'I genuinely think is a slur on all those police officers that are serving this country day and night, seven days a week.' When asked whether it was possible the NPCC guidance to police had created an unequal system, she said: 'I think it's the right thing to do that that guidance is looked at, because the fundamental principle, as you know, that we have in this country is equality before the law.' 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