Henry Nowak's family say 18-year-old 'would have hated' riots and accuse some politicians of playing a 'game' with his murder

Henry Nowak's family said he 'would have hated' the riots that followed his death as they accused some politicians of playing a 'game' with their son's murder.Mr Nowak, who was fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa, was handcuffed by police as he lay dying when his attacker falsely accused him of racial abuse last December.In police body-worn camera footage, Mr Nowak could be heard repeatedly saying 'I've been stabbed,' to which an officer replied: 'Don't think you have, mate.'Digwa, 23, was jailed for at least 21 years in June – with the video prompting violent protests in Southampton, which began outside a police station before spreading.At the time, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called for the public to respond with 'pure cold rage' and demanded an end to what he described as 'two-tier policing'.Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said there should be 'no two-tier policing, no believing that racism only happens to ethnic minorities', but a spokesman for then-prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said there was 'no such thing as two-tier policing'. But speaking in a new ITV Tonight documentary, 'Dear Henry: Our Fight For Justice', the family said they had 'worked hard' to keep politics out of Mr Nowak's story.Mr Nowak's mother, Lucy Ross, said that she thought some people - without naming names - had tried to use her son's death to advance wider political arguments.'I suppose that's the game they play, and I can't do anything about that. But when they think it all links together – no, it doesn't,' she said. 'Olivia's lost her brother, and I've lost my son. I'm not interested in your political game.'Henry Nowak's father Mark Nowak (left) and stepmother Katie Nowak (centre), speak with ITV News UK editor Paul Brand (right) in the new documentary 'Dear Henry: Our Fight For Justice' Henry Nowak was stabbed in Southampton last December then handcuffed as he lay dyingOn whether she felt 'two-tier policing' was a factor in his death, Lucy said she did not want to make a broader political point but had questions about his case.'I'll put it this way. I want to know why Henry was on the floor, and he got treated the way he did, but that family got treated [in] a different way. What is that?'Mr Nowak's father Mark Nowak said his son 'was not a divisive person' and the political response to his murder 'didn't sit with Henry's values or our values.'His stepmother Katie Nowak added: 'We understand why people were angry. We think everyone should have a right to protest and have their voice heard, but not the riots.'Mr Nowak's sister, Olivia Nowak, said she condemned the riots but understood why people felt angry.Lucy added: 'Go and voice your opinion, go and stand there in a march, go and do what you've got to do, but go home.'Mark said that while serious questions about Mr Nowak's death still needed to be answered, they were not political ones.'There's a lot that went wrong that night,' he added. 'From how the police treated Henry, to Vickrum's ability to carry around a massive dagger on the streets of Britain.'All of those questions have to be answered, but they're not political ones, and we've worked hard not to politicise this.'ITV News UK editor Paul Brand (left) speaks to Mr Nowak's sister Olivia (second right) who revealed she alerted her mother Lucy Ross (far right) to the police arriving at the family homeKatie also said: 'For us, it's not about politics, or sides. We just want the truth.'Digwa had falsely told police Mr Nowak racially attacked him and that he had acted in self-defence.Following the murder, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary made a mandatory self-referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).A letter sent to the family by the watchdog in April said after 'careful consideration of the available evidence' no officers 'would be subject to conduct or criminal investigation'.It read: 'This was because there were no concerns identified in relation to officer actions and decisions that would be so serious as to justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings, should they be proven or admitted.'The letter added the decision not to investigate attending officers would be 'kept under review throughout the life cycle of the case'.The IOPC then announced in July that two officers were under investigation for potential gross misconduct.The watchdog has said its investigation into potential failures in the police response is expected to wrap up early next year.Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has also commissioned an independent review of the case, including the IOPC's involvement, led by former lord chancellor Alex Chalk, to examine whether there were 'any missed opportunities to intervene'. Police officers pinned fatally injured Mr Nowak to the ground as he gasped 'I've been stabbed'Speaking on the documentary, she said she had been 'very moved by the dignity of the family in how they've handled this awful situation which none of us can ever imagine being in and I'm very clear that they deserve answers and I have committed to them that it's my job to make sure that they get the answers.'Asked whether she had confidence in IOPC, Ms Mahmood added: 'Yes. The IOPC does good work every day and I think it's important that we recognise that. Of course, whether there are questions to answer, that needs to be scrutinised and looked at properly.'She also said: 'I do think we have to recognise that they have a difficult job to do. They're the people we turn to when things have gone wrong within policing. It would be wrong of me to pre-empt any findings that Alex Chalk might make about what's happened with the IOPC in this case.'Separately, Mr Nowak's family have also claimed Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary (HIOWC) initially suggested to them that he was the aggressor and they were allegedly told officers had immediately administered first aid to him.Katie said: 'I do feel we have been failed multiple times. I fear we may have been manipulated in our darkest hours. I fear some decisions were made to try and protect the police and their reputation rather than help us as a family.'Digwa used his eight-inch blade to stab Mr Nowak five times – delivering the fatal blow to his chest.Police initially dismissed Mr Nowak's pleas that he had been stabbed and could not breathe, before finally discovering the fatal stab wound to his chest while performing CPR, eight minutes after arriving on scene.Kiran Kaur, Digwa's mother, was also jailed for three years for assisting an offender after she removed the knife used by her son. She could be released as early as next month.HIOWC chief constable Alexis Boon told ITV: 'Henry's murder was a devastating tragedy, and our thoughts remain with his family and all those who loved him. I am incredibly sorry that in his final moments, when he needed us most, we failed him. Vickrum Digwa, 23, was sentenced to at least 21 years in prison for murdering Henry Nowak'I recognise that, for Henry's family, this has been about more than the circumstances of one night. They have rightly raised serious concerns about the police response and their treatment throughout the investigation and since. No family should ever find themselves in this position.'The events surrounding Henry's death remain subject to extensive independent scrutiny. 'We are co-operating fully with the review by HMICFRS [His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services], the IOPC's investigations and the coronial inquest. But I will not wait for their findings to make changes.'Henry deserved better. His family deserved better. I am determined that we learn every lesson from this tragedy and ensure families who place their trust in us are treated with honesty, compassion and professionalism.'A Home Office spokesman said: 'The murder of Henry Nowak was a tragedy. His life was cruelly cut short in a horrific and senseless act of violence. Our thoughts are with Henry's family who have experienced unimaginable loss.'We are continuing discussions with Sikh stakeholders and the police about the law on carrying knives in public and the religious reasons defence.'The Home Secretary has also announced a rapid independent review, led by Alex Chalk KC, into the circumstances surrounding Henry's murder, including whether opportunities were missed and whether lessons can be learned.'This Government is committed to halving knife crime in a decade, and it is down 11 per cent in the last two years. But while there are still tragedies like this, there is more to do.' Vickrum Digwa's mother Kiran Kaur (above) was jailed for three years for assisting an offender IOPC director of engagement Derrick Campbell added: 'Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Henry's family and friends for their tragic loss.'The IOPC is committed to establishing the full circumstances of this case, including whether any of the officers involved should face disciplinary proceedings, and providing Henry's family with answers to the questions they rightly have about how the police treated Henry in the way they did on that terrible night, and why.'Our investigators continue to have regular contact with Henry's family. 'Since Vickrum Digwa was convicted of his murder, they have met with members of Henry's family on a number of occasions to provide them with updates and to explore their concerns, about police actions and our investigation, in more detail. 'We are working hard to conclude our independent investigation as quickly as possible while ensuring we have robustly explored all lines of enquiry.'And a Crown Prosecution Service spokesman said: 'Our thoughts remain with Henry Nowak's family and friends for the unimaginable pain they have suffered.'Our priority in this case was always securing justice. That means we must carefully balance our duty to protect the integrity of live court proceedings with our engagement with families.'Unfortunately, we were unable to share sensitive evidence with Henry's family until the case was trial-ready; to avoid any risk of prejudicing proceedings. We discussed this with them and explained that decision.''Dear Henry: Our Fight For Justice' will air on Thursday at 9pm on ITV, ITVX, and the ITV News YouTube channel