Henry Nowak inquest in 2027 to investigate if police contributed to death
The jury inquest into the death of Henry Nowak next year will look at whether any “act or omission by a police officer” caused or contributed to his death.
The full inquest into the death of Mr Nowak, who was murdered in Southampton in December, will open at Winchester Coroner’s Court with a jury on September 20 2027.
Political outcry about the murder has centred on the response of the police officers who dealt with Mr Nowak before his death.
Mr Nowak’s killer, Vickrum Digwa, claimed he had been the victim of a racial attack while the student was handcuffed by the police as he lay dying.
The case has prompted accusations that police equality guidance influenced the disparity in how Mr Nowak and his killer were initially treated.
Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton area coroner Jason Pegg said a jury inquest would “allow public and family scrutiny of all the circumstances by which Henry came by his death”.
Mr Pegg told Winchester Coroner’s Court on Thursday that Mr Nowak’s death in custody meant the investigative duty under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights had been triggered.
The coroner added: “The scope of any inquest where Article 2 is engaged is not simply how someone came by their death, but also in what broader circumstances.
“I am not satisfied that the investigations that have taken place to date in relation to the death of Henry Nowak have fully discharged the investigative Article 2 obligation.
“Indeed, those other investigations were not and are not necessarily intended to discharge such obligations.”
Mr Pegg added: “The issue in this case is likely to be whether any act or omission by a police officer or any delay in the treatment Henry Nowak received caused or contributed to death.
“An inquest will allow such scrutiny, it will be a public hearing on the broad circumstances by which Henry came by his death.
“Having an inquest will allow Henry’s family to effectively participate in those proceedings.”
Digwa was given a life sentence with a minimum of 21 years in prison for stabbing Mr Nowak with a ceremonial knife with a 21cm blade prosecutors said was a kirpan, which he carried as part of his Sikh religion.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, is expected to report on the case within the next three months.
Mr Pegg said that Mr Nowak’s medical cause of death was given in a post-mortem examination as “a stab wound to chest”.
Discussing the September 2027 inquest date, Mr Pegg said: “I recognise that date is some time away. It might be that the inquest is brought forward and I hope that it is.”