Michelle Dewberry 'heartbroken' as she delivers emotional response to Henry Nowak bodycam footage: 'Don't think I'll ever understand!'

The 23-year-old killed the 18-year-old with a 21cm Sikh ceremonial blade known as a kirpan on December 3 last year, as the victim walked home alone following an evening out with friends.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary released bodycam footage shortly after sentencing, with the family's consent, showing the moments after officers arrived at the scene.

The footage reveals Mr Nowak lying face down on a gravel driveway, telling officers repeatedly that he had been stabbed and could not breathe.

One officer responded: "You've been stabbed, mate? I don't think you have."

Mr Digwa had falsely told police that the teenager had racially abused and attacked him, leading officers to treat the dying victim as a suspect rather than someone in need of urgent medical assistance.

Mr Nowak was read his rights and placed in handcuffs. Three minutes after being arrested, he lost consciousness.

Outrage has erupted among the public following the release of the footage, and GB News presenter Michelle used X to express her own disbelief.

"The bodycam footage of Henry Nowak arrest. Feel so conflicted sharing this. It is utterly horrific," she began.

Michelle went on: "But I also know how much the truth matters. Henry could barely move. He wasn’t a threat to anyone. He was repeatedly saying he couldn’t breathe. Repeatedly saying he had been stabbed… He was visually fading away.

"Instead of immediate and urgent care upon seeing Henry, the response was to prioritise cuffs…because of spurious claims made by others. How can individuals behave like that?

"I don’t think I’ll ever understand it. I go to bed feeling sad tonight. I felt heartbroken for Henry’s family today, seeing them on the court steps.

"I now feel that tenfold. What a world we live in. What a world," Michelle signed off.

At Southampton Crown Court, Judge William Mousley KC dismissed Mr Digwa's claims that he had acted in self-defence after being racially abused by the teenager.

"I am sure that Henry said nothing racist," the judge stated. "You are the only person to make that claim and it is completely at odds with his previous character."

Judge Mousley told Mr Digwa he had brought "shame" upon both his family and his religion, adding that his actions had "stirred up racial tension in Southampton and across the country, which have made many Sikhs worried about their safety."

The victim's father, Mark Nowak, wept as he delivered his impact statement to the court, describing the loss of his "beautiful son" as devastating beyond words.

"As a father, it is my job to protect my child and I failed to keep him safe. I was not there when he needed me most. The thought of him lying in the road, scared, bleeding to death, will haunt me forever," he told the court.

He spoke of being "traumatised" by uncertainty over the precise events of that night, describing the experience as "a fate worse than hell."

Mr Nowak's sister, Olivia, addressed Mr Digwa directly, telling him: "If you had known him, you would never have hurt him."

She described her brother as "funny, handsome, precious and kind," adding: "My brother should not be forever 18, he deserved to grow old and start a family of his own."

Stepmother Katie Woodcock recounted the trauma of that night, saying she replays the horrors repeatedly and struggles to sleep.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is currently investigating the officers' actions, with the force having referred itself immediately after the incident.

Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Robert France apologised for the way Mr Nowak was treated in his final moments.

"I'm sorry that Henry's life couldn't be saved that night, and I'm sorry that he was handcuffed and arrested in the moments before he lost consciousness," he said.

He acknowledged that officers took three minutes before administering first aid, describing this as "absolutely tragic," though he noted the pathologist confirmed nothing could have saved Mr Nowak's life.

The force has committed to implementing recommendations from the ongoing IOPC investigation.