Far-Right Figures Incite 100s in Southampton After 18-Year-Old Henry Nowak's Murder
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 5
Far-Right Figures Incite 100s in Southampton After 18-Year-Old Henry Nowak's Murder
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 5
Summary
Hundreds of protesters marched from Southampton Central Police Station toward killer Vickrum Digwa’s family home, where violence erupted, missiles were thrown at officers, vehicles were damaged and some demonstrators gave Nazi salutes.
The unrest followed Digwa’s sentencing for murdering 18-year-old Henry Nowak, a case far-right activists including Tommy Robinson, Nick Tenconi and Laurence Fox used to spotlight the killer’s Sikh identity despite the victim’s father saying it was “a case about murder”.
Sikh leaders said that framing has triggered fear and reprisals: gurdwara attendance has fallen, hate incidents were reported in Southampton and elsewhere, and some residents are changing travel, school and community plans over safety concerns.
The case has also reignited a wider “two-tier policing” row after officers initially treated the stabbed Nowak as a suspect; critics say far-right claims that anti-racism guidance favors minorities are unsupported and risk further undermining trust in police.
A killer’s lie ignited a racial firestorm. Can the UK protect communities from the fallout?
Will a teen's death in police custody finally force a radical overhaul of UK policing?
Life Sentence for Vickrum Digwa, Police Under Investigation: The Henry Nowak Murder and Its Impact on UK Policing
Overview
On December 3, 2025, Vickrum Digwa fatally stabbed Henry Nowak in Southampton and was later found carrying a knife in public. When police arrived, they handcuffed Nowak despite his desperate pleas that he had been stabbed and could not breathe, with an officer dismissing his injuries. Nowak collapsed, lost consciousness, and died alone while still handcuffed. Distressing bodycam footage of the police response was shown during Digwa’s trial, sparking public outrage and protests after its release. The incident led to a major investigation into police conduct and calls for accountability and reform.