Two Arrested During Southampton Protests Following Murder of Henry Nowak

Two people were arrested during unrest in Southampton following the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak, policing minister Sarah Jones has said.

Speaking to Times Radio, Ms Jones said one person was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, while another was arrested on suspicion of possession of a weapon.

The protests followed the sentencing of 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, who was jailed for life after murdering Henry Nowak in Southampton. Digwa falsely claimed to police at the scene that he had been the victim of a racist attack after stabbing Henry on December 3 last year.

Henry, who had been on his way home from a night out, was handcuffed by officers as he lay fatally injured after Digwa claimed he had acted in self-defence. Body-worn footage later showed Henry telling officers he had been stabbed and could not breathe.

Ms Jones urged people not to “overreact” and said the wishes of Henry’s family must be respected.

She said: “Some of what we saw yesterday was unacceptable. There have been two arrests, as I understand it from my briefing this morning, one for assault of a police officer, one for possession of a weapon.

“We can’t allow — and the family said this, and we have to take our lead from them — to create further division, hatred, or tension, and I think we need to respect that.”

Henry’s family have called for calm and have asked that his death is not used to stir up hatred or division.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating the police handling of the incident, while Hampshire Police has apologised for the way Henry was treated in the moments before he died.

Digwa was convicted of murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place following a trial at Southampton Crown Court. His mother, Kiran Kaur, was also convicted of assisting an offender after the court heard she removed the murder weapon from the scene.

The case has sparked national debate over knife crime, policing, and the legal exemptions around religious blades.

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Posted: 2026-06-03T08:22:04+0000