CPS halts police statement during Henry Nowak murder trial to protect legal integrity

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary attempted to issue a public statement during the trial of Vickrum Digwa, the man convicted of murdering 18-year-old Henry Nowak, but was advised against the release by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The police force ultimately decided not to issue the statement to protect the integrity of the ongoing trial.

The proposed statement, as reported by the Sunday Times, aimed to address online ‘disinformation’ and clarify the court process. The draft statement reportedly reminded the public that nothing could be published that might prejudice legal proceedings and indicated that police would answer questions once the trial was complete.

The CPS emphasised the risks of referring to evidence before it had been heard by the jury and summed up by the judge. It was clarified that the decision to release a statement remained an operational matter for the police, despite the CPS warning.

Nowak, a first-year accountancy and finance student at the University of Southampton, was fatally stabbed in Southampton last December. Digwa, 23, was convicted of the murder and handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years.

Digwa carried a ceremonial 21cm blade as part of his Sikh religion. Upon police arrival, Digwa falsely claimed Nowak had racially abused him and knocked his turban off; Nowak was handcuffed despite stating he had been stabbed and could not breathe.

Hampshire police have apologised for their initial actions, which drew global criticism from figures including Elon Musk and senior politicians in the Trump administration. The incident led to violent disorder in Southampton last week and accusations of ‘two-tier justice’ and anti-white bias, although data has discredited claims that UK police actions systematically disadvantage white people.

Justice Secretary David Lammy is facing scrutiny regarding police reform in the wake of the murder.