Martin Daubney was visibly shaken and reduced to tears as he responded to the killing of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, after his attacker, 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, was sentenced to 21 years in prison.
The GB News presenter struggled to contain his emotions while describing what he called the “heartbreaking” case, reflecting on the impact the murder has had on the victim’s family.
Outside Southampton Crown Court, Henry Nowak’s father, Mark Nowak, issued a strongly critical statement about how his son was treated in his final moments, also blaming the police for what he described as “inhumane and degrading” handling of the situation.
He said: “We hold Vickrum Digwa solely and 100 per cent responsible for the brutal murder of our son. But Henry should not have died on the streets of Southampton in police custody.
“The way he was treated was inhumane and degrading. His murderer, however, was afforded decency. He was believed. He was not handcuffed when arrested. He was not handcuffed when transported to the police station.
“As far as we understand, he was never handcuffed at all. And as Vickrum himself told the court whilst under arrest for Henry’s murder, police even took him to the kitchen so he could choose his food. The contrast is unbearable.”
Responding to the statement, Martin Daubney described the father’s words as “breathtaking”, saying the emotional weight of the case was clear from the family’s testimony.
He said: “Quite a breathtaking statement given out there. They said finally Henry was believed. The mother was uncontrollably struck by grief at one moment there.”
He added: “One sentence that got us all was he wasn’t believed. He was handcuffed. The police did not believe him. He was dragged across the gravel, handcuffed and arrested. They read him his rights and they were the last words he heard.”
Daubney became increasingly emotional as he repeated the family’s account, saying: “Instead of being comforted as his lungs filled with blood, he was chased. He told the police he’d been stabbed four times… he couldn’t breathe nine times.
“He told them he’d been stabbed, but the police did not believe him. Henry should not have died in police custody, but his murderer was believed.”
He also said the impact statements read in court were deeply moving, highlighting the emotional testimony from Henry’s sister.
“A lot of people will look at this tariff and think 21 years is not enough. He could be out of prison by age 44. Henry is gone forever.
“The impact statements of six-year-old girls crying on the stairs, thinking they could be murdered in their own home… brothers who’ve lost a brother forever. They will serve a life sentence.
“Why is that scumbag not going to serve a life sentence? It doesn’t feel like it’s enough.”
Struggling to stay composed, he added: “Henry Nowak was arrested and read his… God this is so upsetting… he was read his rights as he lay dying and he was not believed.
“Henry was amazing. One of the kindest, most inclusive men you will ever meet, and now he’s gone. Rest in peace Henry Nowak.”
Prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg KC told the court the attack was “sustained”, describing Digwa as someone with an “obsession with weapons”, saying he had trained with them, searched for them, and kept them close, which showed he saw them as readily available for use.
