Disturbing new details have emerged about the final moments of 18-year-old Henry Nowak’s life, with allegations that a female police officer laughed when the seriously injured teenager told officers he had been stabbed.
The claims have surfaced during proceedings connected to the fatal stabbing of the Southampton university student and have intensified scrutiny of the actions of the officers who arrived at the scene.
According to information presented in court and accounts provided by the family, three female police officers were among the first officers to respond after emergency calls were made following a violent confrontation in December 2025.
By the time police arrived, Henry had already suffered multiple stab wounds, including a fatal wound to the chest. Despite his critical condition, officers reportedly treated him as a suspect rather than as a victim after allegations were made that he had used racist language during an earlier exchange.
One of the most controversial allegations concerns Henry’s first interaction with the police. According to accounts disclosed during the proceedings, when Henry told officers that he had been stabbed, the officer who placed him in handcuffs laughed at him.
The teenager was then reportedly restrained despite suffering severe blood loss. Family representatives claim that Henry was dragged across gravel while handcuffed and was kept restrained as his condition rapidly deteriorated.
Witness evidence suggests that officers did not immediately provide potentially life-saving medical assistance. Instead, Henry remained in handcuffs while bleeding heavily from his wounds. Only after he lost consciousness were the handcuffs removed and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) initiated.
Despite those efforts, Henry died at the scene.
The circumstances surrounding the police response have become a major focus of public concern. Critics have questioned why a visibly injured teenager who repeatedly stated that he had been stabbed was not immediately treated as a medical emergency.
Further controversy arose after police seized the mobile phones belonging to both Henry and his father. According to information disclosed by the family, investigators searched through messages looking for racist comments, jokes or other material that could support allegations made against the teenager.
Supporters of the family have questioned the relevance of those searches, arguing that the investigation appeared to focus on Henry’s character while critical questions remained unanswered about the actions of those responsible for the stabbing and the emergency response that followed.
The murder trial has heard evidence that Henry attempted to flee after being attacked. Prosecutors allege that after sustaining multiple stab wounds, he desperately sought help before eventually collapsing. The court was told that the injuries caused catastrophic blood loss.
The defendant accused of carrying out the fatal attack denies murder and manslaughter charges. Proceedings are continuing.
Meanwhile, calls for an independent examination of the police response have grown louder. Campaigners and members of the public have questioned whether earlier medical intervention could have improved Henry’s chances of survival and whether officers’ decisions were influenced by allegations made against him before they fully assessed his condition.
For Henry Nowak’s family, the newly disclosed details have only deepened their determination to obtain answers.
They argue that, alongside establishing responsibility for the stabbing itself, it is essential to understand why an 18-year-old who repeatedly stated he had been stabbed was allegedly laughed at, handcuffed and left restrained as he bled to death in front of responding officers.
Photo: X/@MarioNawfal
Tomasz Modrzejewski
