Claim 512778fbChecked 21 Jul 2026
TrueOn the truth scale
“Henry Nowak’s father pleaded that his son’s murder should not be used to create further division.”
—Ed DaveyLiberal DemocratLD / Kingston and Surbiton·Engagements·03 Jun 2026Factual · historical current chronological
Reasoning & Evidence21 Jul 2026
The claim is fully supported by primary reporting and the father's own words. Mark Nowak, Henry Nowak's father, spoke outside Southampton Crown Court after the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa on 1 June 2026. Multiple sources — including a YouTube transcript of the full statement, the BBC, and The Independent — confirm that Mark Nowak explicitly said: "We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred, or tension. We want his story to make our streets safer for everyone." The BBC's overview article of the case explicitly states: "But he also urged people not to use his son's death to create division," referring to Mark Nowak's remarks. The claim that Henry Nowak's father pleaded that his son's murder should not be used to create further division is an accurate representation of what Mark Nowak said outside court.
Sources:
- BBC News, "Henry Nowak case: What happened and why it sparked national outrage" — https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpvpv2xylgeo
- The Independent, "Henry Nowak's father says the way police treated his dying son was 'inhumane and degrading'" — https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/henry-nowak-stabbing-police-handcuffs-b2987717.html
- YouTube transcript of Mark Nowak's statement outside court — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avwiLl6reKM
- BBC News, "Henry Nowak murder: What we know about how the events unfolded" — https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjepqy29jdpo
From speech
I associate myself with your remarks about Lord Alan Haselhurst, Mr Speaker, and can confirm to the Leader of the Opposition that he will be missed across the House. I also associate myself with the Prime Minister’s remarks about Lance Corporal James Freeman, who was killed in Iraq. Our thoughts are with his family and unit. I also offer our thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of the 17 people who tragically drowned during the recent heatwave, many of whom were children. The murder of Henry Nowak was an evil crime made much worse by the lies of the killer and the police response. The investigation must uncover everything that went wrong, and all police forces must act on its conclusions. Outside court, Henry’s father made a powerful plea that his son’s murder should not be used to create further division, but should instead be used to treat knife crime as a national emergency. Does the Prime Minister agree that the victims of knife crime and their families deserve a politics where we come together to solve these problems, instead of using them as a political football?
Sources opened
| [1] | bbc.com |
| [2] | independent.co.uk |
| [3] | youtube.com |
| [4] | the-independent.com |
| [5] | metro.co.uk |
| [6] | bbc.com |
| [7] | bbc.com |
| [8] | en.wikipedia.org |
| [9] | independent.co.uk |
| [10] | bbc.com |