Two police officers in Henry Nowak case are under investigation for gross misconduct, watchdog reveals

Two officers who arrested and handcuffed Henry Nowak as he lay dying are under investigation for gross misconduct, the police watchdog said today.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said its investigation would examine whether Hampshire Police officers breached professional standards.

Investigators will examine the officers’ failure to recognize that the 18-year-old needed urgent medical attention, their failure to act immediately after he said he had been stabbed and that he could not breathe, and their decision to handcuff him instead of providing first aid.

The IOPC will also investigate the possibility of sacking one of the officers after saying he breached standards of ‘respect and courtesy’ by saying Henry had been stabbed and saying: ‘I don’t think so, mate.’

In an incident that shocked the country, police arrested and handcuffed a dying student after his killer, Vickrum Digwa, falsely claimed he had been racially abused.

The IOPC spent six months examining the circumstances of the horrific case in which the 23-year-old killer was tricked into police shortly after stabbing Mr Nowak five times on a night in Southampton last December.

Officers found guilty of gross misconduct face automatic dismissal.

Derrick Campbell, IOPC Director of Participation, said: ‘We continue to offer our deepest condolences to Henry’s family and friends.

‘Our investigators met with Henry’s family earlier this month and, now that the criminal case has concluded, we were able to discuss our investigation in depth with them.

‘We have to continually review the evidence obtained throughout our investigations and assess possible signs of misconduct for the officers involved. As a result, two police officers will now face serious misconduct investigations.

Police officers pinned the fatally wounded Henry to the ground as he screamed ‘I’ve been stabbed’ and ‘I can’t breathe’. Gurpreet said the attacker was Henry

The killer, Vickrum Digwa, appears to have lied to the police and said he ripped off the teenager’s turban during a racist attack. It turned out to be a ‘bad lie’

Vickrum Digwa (pictured) was jailed for at least 21 years after stabbing Henry to death

‘There is clear evidence that public confidence in the force may have been seriously damaged by this incident and this is a factor we must take into account when assessing the evidence.

‘The service of notices of gross misconduct does not necessarily mean that disciplinary proceedings will follow. ‘At the end of our investigation we will decide whether any officers should face disciplinary action.’

In the months before Mr Nowak’s murder, tensions had been rising in the Portswood local area following a series of incidents, including two asylum seekers being arrested for doxxing and two women being groped while walking on the street.

Local people stated that there was an ‘ongoing atmosphere of racist harassment’ due to anti-immigrant protests at the hotel.

In September, police launched an arson investigation after a flare was fired from a ground floor window.

A rally the following month resulted in violent clashes between immigrants and protesters outside the hotel.

Police have arrested five people since the protests began last summer and issued five dispersal orders, including one in November, 500 meters from the hotel, just days before the murder.