Hampshire Police sought to issue statement during Henry Nowak murder trial
Hampshire police tried to release a statement during the trial of Henry Nowak's killer but were warned by the CPS it could jeopardise proceedings.
Hampshire Police sought to issue statement during Nowak murder trial
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary attempted to release a public statement while the trial of Henry Nowak's killer was under way, but was warned by the Crown Prosecution Service that doing so could jeopardise the case, theguardian.com reports, citing a Sunday Times investigation.
The force wanted to address what it described as online "disinformation" at a critical point in proceedings against Vickrum Digwa, 23. The draft statement was understood to have included information about how court cases operate, a reminder that nothing could be published that might prejudice legal proceedings, and a commitment to answer questions once the trial concluded.
The CPS cautioned the force that protecting the integrity of the ongoing trial was essential, warning of the risks of referring to any aspect of evidence before it had been heard by the court and the case had been summed up by the judge to the jury. It was made clear, however, that the final decision on whether to release a statement remained a police operational matter.
Nowak, an 18-year-old first-year accountancy and finance student at the University of Southampton, was fatally stabbed in Southampton last December after a night out with friends. Digwa attacked him with a ceremonial knife with a 21cm blade, which he carried as part of his Sikh religion.
When officers arrived at the scene, Digwa falsely claimed Nowak had racially abused him and knocked his turban off. Nowak was handcuffed and arrested despite telling officers he had been stabbed and could not breathe.
Digwa was subsequently convicted and handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years.
Hampshire police have since apologised for their handling of the scene. Their actions attracted global attention after being criticised by Elon Musk, the owner of X, and senior figures in the Trump administration. Violent disorder broke out in Southampton last week in the aftermath of the case.
The force has faced accusations of "two-tier justice" and anti-white bias following Nowak's murder. Data cited in coverage of the case has been said to discredit claims that UK police actions systematically disadvantage white people.
Justice Secretary David Lammy was scheduled to be interviewed by the BBC and Sky News on Sunday morning and was expected to face questions about the future of police reform in the wake of the case.
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)