Police officers took approximately eight minutes to identify a stab wound on Henry Nowak after detaining him in Southampton last December, according to newly released evidence. The delay has drawn public criticism following a partial release of body-worn camera footage showing Nowak being handcuffed shortly before he lost consciousness and later died.

Nowak, an 18-year-old finance student from Chafford Hundred, Essex, was the victim of a fatal stabbing in December 2025. The incident unfolded after another individual, Vickrum Digwa, informed police that he had been subjected to a racially motivated attack. In the footage, Nowak is heard repeatedly insisting that he had been stabbed. An officer responds with skepticism, asking, “You’ve been stabbed? Whereabouts? Don’t think you have, mate,” before the injury is confirmed.

A fuller transcript of the body camera video, released by the Crown Prosecution Service, indicates that officers did not promptly recognize the severity of Nowak’s wound. The apparent delay in medical assessment and intervention sparked public anger once revealed.

On June 1, 2026, Digwa, 23, was convicted of murdering Nowak and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years. Authorities have not commented on the police response time or whether procedural changes will be implemented following the incident.

The case has raised questions about the police response to victims in critical condition during arrests and the adequacy of officers’ medical training and situational awareness in emergency situations. Investigations into the conduct of the officers involved remain ongoing.