Claim 8c52569aChecked 21 Jul 2026
TrueOn the truth scale
“Henry’s life has been stolen.”
Interpreted asmetaphor
“Henry was deprived of his life.”
—Keir StarmerLabourThe Prime Minister·Engagements·03 Jun 2026Factual · historical current chronological
Reasoning & Evidence21 Jul 2026
The claim "Henry was deprived of his life" refers to Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old Southampton university student who was fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa on December 3, 2025. Multiple authoritative sources confirm this:
- BBC News reported that Henry Nowak was stabbed to death, with bodycam footage showing him telling police "I've been stabbed" and "I can't breathe" while being handcuffed. He was declared dead at 00:37 GMT on December 4, 2025.
- AP News confirmed the fatal stabbing and that Digwa was convicted of murder.
- The Independent reported that Digwa was jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years for the murder.
- Judge William Mousley KC stated in sentencing remarks that the nature of Henry's injuries meant he would not have survived regardless of how quickly he received medical treatment.
The claim that Henry was deprived of his life is straightforwardly true — he was murdered by Vickrum Digwa, who was convicted and sentenced for the crime. There is no ambiguity or dispute about this core fact.
Sources: BBC News (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq8pn9ng5zlo), BBC News (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crlpyw05l75o), AP News (https://apnews.com/article/uk-stabbing-victim-handcuffed-sikhs-knives-race-26af31dfd5b39a37f1c27cf5cda2c7ce), The Independent (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/henry-nowak-keir-starmer-prime-minister-prime-npcc-b2988504.html)
From speech
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this really important case. My thoughts are with Henry’s family, as are the thoughts of the whole House and the whole country, I am sure. I have watched the bodycam footage, as others will have done, and I found it really hard. It was harrowing. As a dad of a 17-year-old boy, I felt sick. I can only imagine how devastated his family are. It is extremely moving. Henry’s life has been stolen. His family have responded with incredible and immense dignity and bravery. There clearly are lessons that need to be learned and serious questions that need to be addressed, not least the question of how accusations of racism informed decision making in such cases. Henry’s father said this: “We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension.” They are the words of a grieving father who has lost his son. I think those words have resonated with people across the country. We must not allow this tragedy to be hijacked by anyone who seeks to divide us.
Sources opened
| [1] | bbc.co.uk |
| [2] | independent.co.uk |
| [3] | channel4.com |
| [4] | independent.co.uk |
| [5] | bbc.com |
| [6] | bbc.co.uk |
| [7] | apnews.com |
| [8] | bbc.com |
| [9] | bbc.com |
| [10] | bbc.co.uk |