Highlights
- Police considered issuing statement during murder trial, report says
- CPS warned statement could risk integrity of proceedings
- Report says police changed wording after objections from Nowak family
- Force says planned statement was intended to prevent trial prejudice
HAMPSHIRE and Isle of Wight Constabulary tried to issue a public statement during the murder trial of Vickrum Digwa over concerns about online “mis- and disinformation”, according to a news report.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) advised the force that releasing such a statement while the trial was ongoing could risk the “integrity” of the case, The Sunday Times reported.
The newspaper also reported that police initially wanted to portray Henry Nowak as the aggressor in a statement issued days after his death, but changed the wording following objections from his family.
Nowak, a first-year finance and accountancy student, died on December 4 after being stabbed multiple times by Digwa following a night out in Southampton. Digwa had falsely claimed to police that he had been racially abused.
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Police initially handcuffed Nowak after Digwa accused him of a “racial” attack. When Nowak said, “I can’t breathe” and told officers he had been stabbed, one constable replied: “I don’t think you have, mate.”
Digwa, now 23, did not tell officers or the 999 call handler that Nowak had been stabbed. Police realised the seriousness of Nowak’s injuries only after he lost consciousness. Digwa was then arrested without handcuffs.
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Two days later, detectives secretly recorded Digwa speaking in Punjabi to his brother Gurpreet in a police van. Digwa admitted stabbing Nowak and discussed claiming self-defence. He made no mention of racial abuse.
Digwa, a practising Sikh who carried two ceremonial daggers, was jailed for at least 21 years after being found guilty of murder at Southampton crown court.
The case has led to scrutiny of policing and diversity policies. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch wrote in The Sunday Times that policing leaders had allowed “ill-advised frameworks” to take hold. She said: “The problem is not institutional racism towards blacks or whites but institutional incompetence.”
The case also led to protests in Southampton last week, led by Tommy Robinson. Hampshire police later said their planned statement during the trial was intended to remind the public not to publish material that could prejudice proceedings.
A police spokeswoman said: “The intention of the statement was to remind the public that there were ongoing legal proceedings and that the law is clear that nothing could be published which could prejudice the trial.”
The CPS said it stressed that “protecting the integrity of the ongoing trial was essential”.
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Hampshire Constabulary referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct after Nowak’s death. Chief Constable Alexis Boon later apologised to the family, saying he was “distressed” by the bodycam footage.
Henry’s father, Mark Nowak, said outside court: “Henry did not die with dignity. He did not die with the care he deserved.”
(With inputs from agencies)
