LONDON - British police faced a national backlash on Tuesday over the inflammatory case of an 18-year-old student who was handcuffed as he lay dying from stab wounds after his killer falsely alleged a racist attack.
Henry Nowak died after the knife attack in the southern England city of Southampton in December last year.
His murderer Vickrum Digwa, a 23-year-old Sikh, was sentenced to life in prison on Monday, having lied to police at the time that Nowak had assaulted him.
In police bodycam video, Nowak is seen lying on the street saying “I’ve been stabbed” and “I can’t breathe” while an officer responds “I don’t think you have mate”.
Nigel Farage, whose anti-immigration Reform party leads opinion polls, said it was an example of the rights of ethnic minorities trumping those of white British people.
“The fear of being called racist was greater than dealing with Henry Nowak’s murder,” he said in a statement.
“We should respond to this with pure cold rage.”
Judge William Mousley acknowledged in court on Monday that the case had stirred racial tension across Britain.
A protest was expected in Southampton on Tuesday evening, with anti-immigrant activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon - known as Tommy Robinson - rallying supporters to attend.
Others have been advertised for this week.
Digwa stabbed Nowak with a knife he said he was permitted to carry due to exemptions for Sikhs to have ceremonial daggers.
When the police arrived, Digwa said his turban had been knocked off and he had an injury to his eye.
Nick Thomas-Symonds, Cabinet Office minister, told BBC Radio that “the conduct of the police when you look at it at the scene is shocking”.
‘Inhumane and degrading’
Nowak’s family called his treatment by police “inhumane and degrading” but in a statement outside court, his father said his death should not be “used to create further division, hatred or tension”.
That was echoed by Britain’s interior minister, Shabana Mahmood, who told parliament on Tuesday that everyone was equal before the law and urged calm during an investigation.
Mahmood acknowledged that the footage released was “disturbing and tragic” but said the case had brought unacceptable threats against police officers and that inflammatory commentary was making a dreadful situation worse.
“We must condemn those who seek personal political profit from tragedy,” she said.
Mahmood added that for public services, the only consideration they should weigh is the risk a person poses, not race or religion.
Referencing previous efforts to tackle racism in policing she said, “Whatever changes are made, it is important that nobody over-corrects or course-corrects such that all of us as citizens are no longer equal before the law.”
Reform leader Farage sought to draw parallels with the 2020 killing of George Floyd in the US which sparked the Black Lives Matter movement. Floyd had said “I can’t breathe” as a police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes.
Nowak died shortly after being handcuffed by police. Once they realised he was injured, they uncuffed him and started CPR.
The police force, Hampshire Police, has apologised.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office said it had received multiple requests to consider raising Digwa’s 21-year minimum sentence, adding that law officers have 28 days from sentencing to make a decision on any changes.
