An inquest jury will examine whether police actions or delays in medical treatment contributed to the death of university student Henry Nowak, a coroner has ruled.
The 18-year-old, from Chafford Hundred in Essex, died after being stabbed during an incident in Southampton on 3 December. Despite suffering serious injuries, Nowak was arrested and handcuffed by police after his attacker, Vickrum Digwa, falsely claimed that he had been assaulted.
At a preliminary hearing in Winchester on Thursday, Hampshire area coroner Jason Pegg said a full jury inquest would begin on 20 September 2027, although he expressed hope that the hearing could be brought forward.
Pegg said the circumstances surrounding Nowak’s death had not yet been fully examined. He stated that the inquest would consider whether any action or omission by police officers, or any delay in the treatment Nowak received, caused or contributed to his death.
The coroner explained that because Nowak was under arrest and therefore in the custody of the state at the time of his death, the state’s obligations under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to life, had been engaged. He said a public investigation was required to examine not only how Nowak died, but also the wider circumstances surrounding his death.
“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,” Pegg told the court.
He added that the inquest would allow for public scrutiny of the events and enable Nowak’s family to participate fully in proceedings, something he said had not been possible during the criminal trial.
The hearing followed the conclusion of Digwa’s murder case. On Monday, the 23-year-old was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years after being convicted of murdering Nowak.
During the trial at Southampton Crown Court, jurors heard that Digwa stabbed Nowak multiple times with a ceremonial Sikh knife, inflicting a fatal wound to the chest. Evidence showed that Digwa falsely told officers he had been subjected to racist abuse, leading police to treat him initially as a victim rather than a suspect.
The court heard that Nowak repeatedly told officers he had been stabbed and was struggling to breathe. Prosecutors said he lost consciousness while still handcuffed, at which point an officer began CPR without realising the extent of his chest injuries.
During sentencing, Judge William Mousley KC referred to expert medical evidence from a pathologist who concluded that the fatal injury involved severe internal bleeding. According to the judge, the pathologist’s opinion was that no emergency medical intervention could have provided access to the damaged vein responsible for the bleeding.
“In simple terms, he would not have survived, however quickly he received first aid, CPR or expert medical treatment,” the judge said.
The case has attracted significant public attention and political debate. Some critics have questioned the police response on the night of the incident, while senior politicians have urged restraint in public discussion of the case.
Nowak’s family did not attend Thursday’s hearing, which lasted approximately eight minutes.
