Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old university student, was stabbed to death by Vickrum Digwa, 23, in a street attack that left him bleeding and begging for help as police ignored his pleas, according to the Daily Mail. Bodycam footage shows officers shackling his hands behind his back and arresting him for assault while he repeatedly said he could not breathe. Digwa has been sentenced to life with a minimum of 20 years, while his mother Kiran Kaur, 52, awaits trial for assisting an offender by hiding the bloodied murder weapon at home.

How Police Ignored Henry Nowak's Pleas as He Lay Bleeding

Chilling bodycam footage obtained by the Daily Mail shows the critical minutes after the stabbing. police officers, who had earlier called Henry a racist, ignored his repeated statements that he had been stabbed and could not breathe. instead of providing medical aid, they made him sit up, shackled his hands, and told him he was under arrest for assault. As he lost consciousness, the last words he heard were an officer informing him of his arrest. Henry's father Mark said the contrast between how his son and the attacker were treated was 'unbearable,' and that the thought of his son lying 'in the road scared and bleeding would haunt me forever.'

Kiran Kaur's 52-Year-Old Dilemma: Hiding the Bloodied Weapon

In the aftermath of the murder, Digwa's mother Kiran Kaur removed the eight-inch blade from the scene and hid it in her home, the Daily Mail reports. She is now being held on remand on charges of assisting an offender.. Her family has defended her actions, with Digwa's grandmother Bimla Kaur, 75, stating, 'She only did what any mother would have done, which is to protect her child. And now she's going to be punished for this.' Bimla described Kiran as a devout Sikh housewife who focused on raising her children in a traditional household, but acknowledged that Vickrum had been 'a difficult boy' and appeared to blame his upbringing in Britain for his behavior.

The 8-Inch Kirpan: Religious Exemption Under the Criminal Justice Act 1988

Digwa carried the large dagger in a sheath around his neck, alongside a smaller traditional kirpan worn under his clothing. He claimed he carried the blade as part of his Sikh faith and that he was a member of the Nihangs, an ancient martial order of Sikhism.. Under UK law, possessing a blade is generally illegal, but Section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 allows exemptions for carrying knives as part of national costume or for religious reasons. The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 further protects Sikhs' right to possess and supply kirpans. Henry's father has called for urgent reforms,insisting that 'common sense' should be applied and that no one should be allowed to carry a knife of that size openly on British streets.

Why Did Police Prioritize the Attacker Over the Victim?

The case has sparked national outrage over the police response, but key questions remain unanswered. Henry's father has condemned the disparity in treatment,but the Daily Mail report does not clarify whether the officers involved have faced internal disciplinary action beyond public condemnation. The source also leaves unexamined the specific training officers received in knife crime response and whether racial bias played a role in their decision to arrest Henry rather than help him. The public is left wondering: did the police deliberately ignore Henry's condition because they believed Digwa's claim that Henry had attacked him in a racially motivated incident?