Police chief apologises for officers handcuffing fatally stabbed teenager

The chief constable of the British police force that arrested Henry Nowak has apologised for the student’s handcuffing as he lay dying.

Alexis Boon, head of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, also denied allegations of two-tier policing, saying that Nowak had not been treated differently because of his race.

Nowak, 18, repeatedly told officers he had been stabbed on December 3 after a confrontation with 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa. But Nowak was handcuffed by police after Digwa falsely claimed he had been racially abused.

The release of bodycam footage of Nowak’s final moments - where he told officers, “I can’t breathe” and “I’ve been stabbed” - sparked an outcry.

After Digwa’s sentencing to life in prison, with a minimum term of 21 years, demonstrations turned violent as protesters clashed with police.

Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, described the murder as a “watershed moment” that would lead politicians and police forces to confront “a two-tier culture where some groups receive greater protection than others”.

His comments were condemned by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who pointed out that Nowak’s family had asked others not to “exploit” the death of their son.

Speaking about Nowak’s murder for the first time since Digwa was jailed, Boon apologised for his officers’ actions.

He said: “I am clear we are sorry for handcuffing and arresting Henry, but I don’t know if that is cutting through for people. We understand it and are genuinely sorry.”

He called the student’s death a “tragedy from start to finish” but added: “I don’t accept the term of two-tier policing. I don’t recognise it.”

He said the incident was under investigation by the police watchdog and he would not speculate on whether the officers’ actions amounted to misconduct.

The police chief acknowledged that bodycam footage of Nowak’s final moments was “deeply distressing” but added that a “furore” had been “whipped up” in the aftermath of Digwa’s sentencing that had led to violent disorder on the streets of Southampton.

He added: “It is not for me to tell politicians what to say. Politicians have a platform and a responsibility to ensure that they support the police and that violence does not ensue and I don’t think any politician wants to see violence spark out on the streets of Southampton or anywhere else.”

Starmer said there was “no justification” for violence after protesters clashed with police in a demonstration against officers’ handling of Nowak’s murder.

And he branded as “unforgivable” calls by hard-right firebrand Farage for people to respond with “pure cold rage” to the death of Nowak.

Two people were arrested yesterday during a protest led by far-right figures that turned violent, despite pleas from Nowak’s father that his son’s murder should not be used “to create further division, hatred or tension”.

Starmer said: “Rage. That’s [Farage’s] response to a father who’s lost his son and asked for that not to happen. Exploiting this tragedy to create grievance and division would be wrong in any circumstances, but to do so when the family are expressly saying ‘please don’t’ is unforgivable. It shows exactly who he is.”

Eleven police officers were injured during the demonstration in Southampton, which saw around 100 protesters pull apart garden fences, throw bricks, flares and chairs, and roll a flaming bin at police.

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