Police who arrested Henry Nowak took eight minutes to realise he had been stabbed, new evidence reveals
It took nearly eight minutes for police officers who arrested Henry Nowak in his final moments to discover his wound, and the new evidence was shocking.
Anger erupted after police released a three-minute body-worn video showing Mr Nowak, of Chafford Hundred, Essex, being handcuffed moments before he lost consciousness and subsequently died.
A longer transcript of footage released by the Crown Prosecution Service reveals the moment officers realized Mr Nowak had been stabbed.
Vickrum Digwa told police who attended the stabbing in Southampton in December last year that he was the victim of a racist attack.
In body camera footage of the incident, Mr. Nowak can be heard repeatedly saying “I was stabbed,” to which a police officer responds: “Did you get stabbed? Where are you? I don’t think so, mate.”
The officer then says, “he says he was stabbed, so let’s check him out and see,” and a female police officer calls an ambulance, describing how Mr. Nowak’s pupils did not respond before the video ended.
Digwa, 23, was sentenced to a minimum of 21 years in prison on June 1 for murdering the 18-year-old finance student after falsely claiming that Mr Nowak had racially abused her.
At three minutes and five seconds, the transcript says, an officer identified as “police officer one” said: “I’m not sure he’s breathing.”
They uncuff Mr. Nowak and begin CPR.
In the transcript, one officer said: “Come on, man. That’s it, that’s it. Keep breathing. Come on.”
According to time stamps, between 5 minutes 24 seconds and 7 minutes 33 seconds, a female police officer asks for a torch and scissors to make sure Mr. Nowak hasn’t been stabbed.
Seven minutes and 33 seconds later, the police officer cuts off his clothing and, with an unseen movement, asks the officer if he was stabbed there.
The policewoman replies: “Yes, he was stabbed… there’s a mark there.”
The first officer adds: “This makes the situation worse. There’s a stab wound… I’m pushing the stab wound.”
The policewoman says: “It’s okay. It’s okay… It’s not coming out. It’s okay. Keep going. Keep going. It’s not bleeding.”
The police officer continues chest compressions and then a paramedic arrives at the scene.
A police officer told him: “We discovered a stab wound on his chest.”
The recording ends in eight minutes and 49 seconds.
He was released without objection from Mr Nowak’s family and after consultation with Hampshire Police.
Following the lawsuit, interim Deputy Chief Constable Robert France of Hampshire Constabulary apologized on behalf of the officers but said they had been “lied to” and that they may have been unaware of Mr Nowak’s injury, which would not have been obvious.
He said: “This is an absolutely tragic incident and I absolutely sympathize with Henry’s family, friends and loved ones.
“I want to apologize, I want to say I’m sorry Henry couldn’t be saved that night. I’m sorry he was handcuffed and arrested right before he lost consciousness.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating Hampshire Police’s response to Mr Nowak’s case.
The jury inquiring into her death at Winchester Coroner’s Court next year will also hear whether there were any “acts or omissions of a police officer” that caused or contributed to her death.
