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Henry Nowak…….an absolute tragedy.

(798 Posts)
Sago Fri 29-May-26 08:41:07

How has the tragic case of this young man not caused outrage?

Imagine if he had been a person of colour or ethnic minority.

The Police handling of this case raises serious questions.

The killer behaved appallingly, lying to Police and then getting his family to hide weapons and cover for him.

It’s also astonishing to learn Sikhs can carry these knives in public because they are “ religious regalia”

For anyone that isn’t aware of this tragedy here is a link.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c70vy0kknj4o

westendgirl Wed 03-Jun-26 09:03:09

Farage does not speak for me Missadventure. Surely the tragic matter is being stirred up by the gang of Reform who seize any opportunity to cause trouble.This is seized upon by those who look for any chance to go on the rampage.It's a shame they took no notice of the plea made by the family of the young man who was murdered.

MissAdventure Wed 03-Jun-26 09:04:34

Rees Mogg is looking to rampage?

MissAdventure Wed 03-Jun-26 09:08:24

Thats why i feel starmer could and should have assured people that justic would prevail and that he shared peoples despair at what happened.

Mamie Wed 03-Jun-26 09:12:07

MissAdventure

This is what AI says.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer did not make any statements in December regarding the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak. Because the killing was subject to an active criminal trial, Starmer did not release an official statement until early June 2026,

It was not a formal statement. It was a personal comment on a sad death. I remember it because it was somewhere I know very well.

MissAdventure Wed 03-Jun-26 09:15:17

Ah, ok.
I didn't know that, and couldn't find any record of it.

I still feel his silence since then has allowed room for snakes to slither in with their own agendas, though.

Mamie Wed 03-Jun-26 09:28:58

I agree with others that Starmer could not comment while the case was sub judice.

Luckygirl3 Wed 03-Jun-26 09:34:02

MissAdventure

Ah, ok.
I didn't know that, and couldn't find any record of it.

I still feel his silence since then has allowed room for snakes to slither in with their own agendas, though.

Rather a decent man who understands the law than the snakes. He can't stop them doing what they do. Sadly the general public falls for this crap.

MissAdventure Wed 03-Jun-26 09:37:38

Of course, nobody wants riots on the sfreets, or downright racists exploiting somwthing that is already heartwrenchingly sad.

MissAdventure Wed 03-Jun-26 09:43:15

Interestingly, i just checked, abd it seems that Johnstone spoke about Sarah Everards murder before the trial.
Just to say that people were "united in grief", which seems a fair, not inflammatory summary.

AGAA4 Wed 03-Jun-26 09:55:02

Having read the link sent by Twaddle? I am even more appalled by the brutality of the murderer who filmed Henry trying to get away and telling people he hadn't been stabbed. Henry too badly injured to defend himself.
It's known now that no medical intervention could have saved him from the fatal wound.

MissAdventure Wed 03-Jun-26 10:10:57

He could have been comforted in his final moments.

TerriBull Wed 03-Jun-26 10:16:26

Unfortunately for him the proposterous "taking the knee" is an act that people remember and hasn't resonated well as to a public's perception of Starmer and where his sympathies may lie. It was a fatuous exaggerated jumping on a bandwaggon gesture that did him no favours. Undoubtedly black people are treated badly by American police but many countries around the world have similar problems, brutal police, marginalised demographics a leader should have more nous than to endorse a Cause Celebre emanating from another nation in such an outwardly posturing way. As a PM he needs to concentrate on domestic injustices particularly when they're perpetrated by our police in what sections of the public perceive as a two tier system. As others have said he leaves a void

MissAdventure Wed 03-Jun-26 10:36:18

My point, but made much better.

LizzieDrip Wed 03-Jun-26 10:37:56

What a dignified statement given by Henry Novak’s grieving father.

He asked that the murder of his son does not become a cause for division. He stated that the case is not about race. He wants, quite rightly, his son’s memory to be honoured with dignity and love.

Farage et al ignored his words, ignored his feelings, and called for ‘cold hard rage’. A baying mob gave him exactly that - shouting Henry Novak’s name.

They don’t deserve to speak the name of Henry Novak.

I am almost done with this country; it’s only the dignity of people like Mr Novak that is helping me to cling on.

LizzieDrip Wed 03-Jun-26 10:39:21

Apologies for my misspelling of Nowak.

Galaxy Wed 03-Jun-26 10:41:54

The progressives have been obsessed with race for at least the last decade. And obsessed with other identities that do not define a human being, quite frequently the least interesting thing about a person. It really is pointless to say no division when the division has been stoked for 10 years or more. Badenoch appears to have some grasp of this.

Retroladytyping Wed 03-Jun-26 10:45:20

MaizieD

I’m really not sure why this particular case of a random murder should be the cause of outrage? Does this by any chance have anything to do with the ethnicity of the murderer?

It has, quite rightly, caused outrage because of the way the Police behaved at the scene. The victim was stabbed and they were more concerned with a (false) allegation of racism. As his parents, heartbreakingly, said, the last words he heard was the reading of his rights. Absolutely tragic.

Ilovecheese Wed 03-Jun-26 10:48:53

As LizzieDrip says
"What a dignified statement given by Henry Novak’s grieving father.

He asked that the murder of his son does not become a cause for division. He stated that the case is not about race. He wants, quite rightly, his son’s memory to be honoured with dignity and love.

Farage et al ignored his words, ignored his feelings, and called for ‘cold hard rage’. A baying mob gave him exactly that - shouting Henry Novak’s name.

They don’t deserve to speak the name of Henry Novak."

Retroladytyping Wed 03-Jun-26 10:53:32

Sunshinegirls

I'm more than angry with the policeman who when Henry said he had been stabbed said "I don't think you have mate" I personally think he should face charges.

One of them has resigned, according to last night's news.

valdali Wed 03-Jun-26 10:55:17

lizziedrip I echo your thoughts.

No-one blamed Maggie Thatcher for football hooligans, why does Starmer get blamed for Farage hooligans? It's scarey because whoever comes after Starmer, this ain't going to stop.

It's attitude as much as any real grievances, whipped up by SM.

Oreo Wed 03-Jun-26 10:59:45

I think it’s understandable that people in Southampton would want to protest tbh and watching the video the majority of the crowd were peaceful actually.They wanted to let the police and government know how outraged they feel about this incident.
Now we also know there really is two tier policing as it’s in the police guidelines that ethnic minorities are to be treated differently.
Ethnic minorities should never be treated as second class citizens but neither should they be given advantages, anyone in the UK should be treated exactly the same before the law.

Maremia Wed 03-Jun-26 10:59:49

Is calling for 'rage' incitement to violence? Should there now be a charge against Farage?

Maremia Wed 03-Jun-26 11:00:45

It was much, much more than a 'protest' though, wasn't it?

LemonJam Wed 03-Jun-26 11:05:27

V3ra

^The Sentencing remarks come as close as anything I've read to a motive:^

www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Digwa-Final-Sentencing-Remarks.pdf

Thank you twaddle for posting this link.
It's a very good, measured summing up by the judge and I'd recommend reading it.
Lots of details I didn't know before.

Such a tragedy for Henry and his family and friends.

Thank you also for posting the link Twaddle. The judge presided over the trial and had sight all the evidence in the case- unlike the many speculative comments on line. Such a tragedy.

MaizieD Wed 03-Jun-26 11:07:04

MissAdventure

He could have been comforted in his final moments.

Have you read the judge's summing up remarks and sentencing decision in the link which Twaddle posted.

It seems clear from the judge's remarks that the police weren't aware that these were his 'final moments'. The circumstances weren't such as to make the fatal wound immediately apparent.

It was dark and Henry was wearing a dark top. The entry damage caused by the knife through it, would not have been obvious. Whilst there was visible blood on Henry, it would not have clearly been seen coming from that wound and the clearly visible facial wound was not lifethreatening. Henry was complaining that he had been stabbed and was struggling to breathe but that would not have necessarily told the officers how serious the situation had become.

Whether or not they should have been aware may be made more clear after the inquiry into their actions.