Police officers attending to Henry Nowak took several minutes to identify the fatal stab wound that ultimately caused his death, according to a newly released transcript from the incident. The 18-year-old university student was found unresponsive after being stabbed while walking home alone in Southampton on December 3.

Nowak was pronounced dead after officers and paramedics struggled to save his life at the scene. The transcript, published with the consent of Nowak’s family, details the officers’ response from their arrival to the discovery of the stab wound. It reveals a tense and chaotic effort to provide emergency care while grappling with uncertainty about the severity of his injuries.

Initially, officers did not recognize that Nowak had been stabbed. Body-worn camera footage previously released showed an officer telling Nowak, “Don’t think you have, mate,” moments before handcuffing him. Three minutes after arriving, the transcript shows Nowak lying on the ground with his hands cuffed behind his back, gasping and eventually ceasing to breathe. Officers then removed the handcuffs and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) amid growing concern.

One officer alerted emergency services that Nowak was not breathing and had no pulse, requesting additional medical support, including an armed response vehicle equipped with a defibrillator. During the attempts to revive him, Nowak’s clothing was cut away, revealing a stab wound to his chest. The officers expressed shock at this discovery but continued CPR until paramedics took over.

The fatal stabbing was carried out by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, who was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years. The case sparked controversy after claims emerged that police handcuffed Nowak while he was dying, citing Digwa’s false allegations that Nowak had racially abused him. Digwa, who is Sikh, was recorded repeatedly lying to police and accusing Nowak of racial abuse, which complicated the officers’ initial assessment.

The incident drew widespread criticism of the police response and led to unrest in Southampton. At sentencing, Judge William Mousley KC acknowledged the officers’ difficult position, noting the genuine shock expressed by the attending officer upon realizing that CPR was being administered over a serious chest wound. The judge emphasized that the officer was doing his best under challenging circumstances.

The transcript provides a detailed account of police efforts during the critical minutes following the stabbing, highlighting both the confusion and urgency faced by the officers in attempting to save Nowak’s life.