Claim 2c46b703Checked 21 Jul 2026
TrueOn the truth scale
“Henry Nowak was wrongfully arrested.”
—Mrs Kemi BadenochConservativeCon / North West Essex·Engagements·03 Jun 2026Factual · official legal institutional
Reasoning & Evidence21 Jul 2026
Henry Nowak was an 18-year-old University of Southampton student who was stabbed and killed by Vickrum Digwa on 3 December 2025 in Southampton. When police arrived at the scene, Digwa — the actual perpetrator — lied to officers, falsely claiming he had been the victim of a racist attack by Nowak. As a result, officers handcuffed Nowak (the actual stabbing victim) and told him he was under arrest for assault, even as he repeatedly pleaded "I've been stabbed" and "I can't breathe." Nowak was the victim, not the perpetrator. He was innocent of any crime and was dying of stab wounds at the time he was arrested. The killer, Vickrum Digwa, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life with a minimum of 21 years. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has publicly apologised for arresting and handcuffing Nowak, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the police response. The claim that "Henry Nowak was wrongfully arrested" is accurate. He was the victim of a stabbing, not a criminal, and was arrested based on false information provided by his killer. The police force itself has acknowledged this error and apologised.
Sources: BBC News — "Murdered student Henry Nowak told police 'I can't breathe' while handcuffed" (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crlpyw05l75o); BBC News — "Henry Nowak: Police watchdog probes murder victim's handcuffing" (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70vy0kknj4o); BBC News — "Henry Nowak case: What happened and why it sparked national outrage" (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpvpv2xylgeo); BBC News — "How Southampton police took eight minutes to find Henry Nowak's fatal stab wound" (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2v02r105jo); The Independent — "Henry Nowak murder: Police apologise for handcuffing stabbing victim while he was dying" (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/henry-nowak-murder-police-vickrum-digwa-b2985277.html)
From speech
I echo the Prime Minister’s words on Lance Corporal James Freeman and about the Royal Navy helicopter crash in Devon. I also send my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Henry Nowak. The circumstances around Henry’s wrongful arrest and tragic murder must be a wake-up call to the entire country and our institutions that every life matters, and it is the responsibility of everyone in this House to bring people together, not divide them. Mr Speaker, with your permission, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Sir Alan Haselhurst—Lord Haselhurst—who died on Monday. Sir Alan served Parliament for over 50 years, eight of them in the Lords and 40 years as my predecessor as MP for Saffron Walden, while from 1970 to 1974 he was the Member of Parliament for Middleton and Prestwich. He was respected on all sides of this House, and was elected multiple times as your predecessor as Deputy Speaker, before he concluded in the other place. Apart from serving his constituents, Sir Alan’s greatest passion in Parliament and perhaps in life was cricket, as you said, Mr Speaker. He was chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on cricket, a role which he encouraged me to take up and which I graciously declined, telling him I knew absolutely nothing about cricket. However, I think colleagues should know that Sir Alan’s intense lobbying is the reason that Sky Sports can be found on the parliamentary TV network. There is so much to say, but just to let everyone know, he was a good and kind man and he will be very much missed. My thoughts are with his wife Angela, his children Mark, David and Emma, and his grandchildren. May I ask the Prime Minister by how much the welfare bill has risen since he came to office?
Sources opened
| [1] | bbc.co.uk |
| [2] | bbc.com |
| [3] | bbc.com |
| [4] | independent.co.uk |
| [5] | independent.co.uk |
| [6] | bbc.com |
| [7] | bbc.com |
| [8] | independent.co.uk |