Davies says Henry Nowak case exposes institutional failings as police watchdog investigation continues

A CALL has been made for a Stephen Lawrence-style public inquiry after murdered university student Henry Nowak was handcuffed by police as he lay dying in the street.

Andrew RT Davies, Conservative Senedd member for South Wales Central, said the case raised serious questions about police judgement, institutional culture and the way officers respond when allegations of racism are made at chaotic crime scenes.

Henry, 18, was stabbed five times in Southampton on December 3, 2025, by Vickrum Digwa, 23, who later falsely claimed the teenager had racially abused him and knocked off his turban.

That account was rejected in court. Prosecutors described it as a “wicked lie”, and Digwa was jailed for life at Southampton Crown Court on Monday (June 1), with a minimum term of 21 years.

Body-worn footage released after the case showed officers initially treating Henry as a suspect, handcuffing him and reading him his rights despite his repeated pleas that he had been stabbed and could not breathe.

Hampshire Police has apologised, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating the force’s response.

Mr Davies said the case should now be examined through a wider public inquiry, arguing that it exposed cultural and structural failings beyond the actions of individual officers.

He said: “The appalling footage in which Henry Nowak was handcuffed as he bled to death has shocked many people, but attributing all blame to the officers involved would be a mistake.

“Henry Nowak’s treatment was the result of a culture of anti-racism under which white people face discrimination and are treated with suspicion.

“We need a Stephen Lawrence-style inquiry to root out these cultural and structural failings within our institutions.”

The comparison is a highly charged one. The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, published in 1999, found the Metropolitan Police to be institutionally racist following the racist murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence in 1993.

Mr Davies is arguing for a similarly far-reaching examination of institutional assumptions, but from a very different perspective — claiming that modern policing culture may now cause officers to give undue weight to allegations of racism even when the facts are unclear.

Henry’s family has also strongly criticised the way he was treated, although they have placed responsibility for his murder firmly on Digwa.

His father, Mark Nowak, said outside court that Henry’s treatment by police was “inhumane and degrading” and called for a full and transparent investigation.

The court heard that Digwa attacked Henry with a 21cm blade which he claimed to carry as part of his Sikh faith. However, he was also carrying a smaller ceremonial kirpan, and the judge said he had brought shame on his family, his community and his religion.

Representatives of the Sikh community have condemned the murder and stressed that Digwa’s actions were entirely contrary to Sikh teaching.

The case has now prompted wider questions about knife crime, religious exemptions in weapons law, police decision-making, and whether officers were too quick to accept Digwa’s false account of events.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has described the case as “awful” and “shocking”, while ministers have indicated that the sentence may be reviewed.

For now, the formal scrutiny rests with the IOPC. But Mr Davies’ intervention will intensify pressure for the investigation to examine not only what individual officers did, but why Henry Nowak was treated as a suspect while his killer’s false account was initially believed.

Wellness festival ranked in top ten must-visit outdoor events for 2026 by national outdoor experts

NARBERTH’S popular Big Retreat Festival has been named one of the UK’s must-visit outdoor festivals this summer in a nationwide study by outdoor retailer GO Outdoors.

The festival, held annually at Lawrenny near Narberth, ranked tenth in a list of the country’s best outdoor and adventure-led festivals for 2026, scoring 7.11 out of ten.

Researchers at GO Outdoors analysed a range of factors including ticket prices, social media popularity, Google search volumes, family-friendliness, camping availability, festival length and even average rainfall to compile the rankings.

The Big Retreat Festival was praised for offering a family-friendly experience, camping facilities and a packed three-day programme focused on wellbeing, music, fitness, food and nature.

The Pembrokeshire-based event sits alongside some of the UK’s best-known outdoor gatherings in the rankings, including Wilderness Festival in Oxfordshire, Festival of Nature in Bristol and Swim Serpentine in London.

According to the study, The Big Retreat generated more than 12,000 annual Google searches and thousands of social media mentions, helping secure its place in the national top ten.

The festival, which has grown steadily in popularity since launching, attracts visitors from across the UK to west Wales, combining yoga, wild swimming, inspirational talks, live music, fitness sessions and family activities in the Pembrokeshire countryside.

A spokesperson for GO Outdoors said the rankings were designed to help people choose the best outdoor festivals to enjoy during the summer months, as more Britons look to spend time outdoors and embrace nature-focused experiences.

Wilderness Festival in Oxfordshire took the top spot overall, scoring 9.47 out of ten, while The Big Retreat was the only Pembrokeshire festival to make the national top ten.

The Big Retreat Festival takes place at Lawrenny Estate near Narberth and has become one of west Wales’ biggest wellness and lifestyle events, drawing thousands of visitors each year.

A MAJOR software upgrade is helping hospitals across Wales improve ultrasound reporting and create a more connected imaging record for clinicians.

ViewPoint 6, an advanced sonography reporting system delivered by Health Net Connections Ltd, has been rolled out across six Welsh health boards, including Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

The system is designed to support obstetric and gynaecological ultrasound reporting, linking reporting workflows with existing hospital IT systems and helping clinicians access images and reports more quickly.

Health Net Connections said the rollout marks an important step towards a more standardised and reliable ultrasound reporting system across NHS Wales.

The Betsi Cadwaladr deployment was one of the most complex parts of the project, involving integration with several third-party systems and access for a large number of users across multiple sites.

There were some external challenges when the system went live, including connectivity issues, workflow disruption caused by third-party system changes, and delays in image transfer between systems.

However, the ViewPoint 6 platform itself remained stable, with no reported issues in its core reporting function. Health Net Connections said critical issues were resolved within hours through work with Philips and local clinical and IT teams.

John Kingan, Healthcare Informatics Sales Leader at Philips UK and Ireland, said: “Connecting multiple services across multiple sites is a complex challenge for healthcare systems, including ultrasound services.

“In partnership with NHS Wales and HNC, we’re bringing obstetric reporting into a more standardised, unified, connected environment.

“This will make it easier for clinicians to access the information they need, work together more effectively, and make faster, informed decisions.

“Ultimately, this supports safer and more consistent care for patients across Wales.”

The project included the deployment of ViewPoint 6 version 6.15.4, with dedicated on-site support and continuing work to optimise image transfer and integration across different platforms.

Clinicians have described ViewPoint as one of the easiest and least problematic systems introduced within the organisation, according to Health Net Connections.

Six health boards have now implemented the technology: Cwm Taf Morgannwg, Swansea Bay, Hywel Dda, Betsi Cadwaladr, Aneurin Bevan, and Powys Teaching Health Board.

Faith Bose, Sales Director at Health Net Connections, said: “We’re extremely proud to be working alongside Philips and supporting NHS Wales to strengthen ultrasound imaging reporting and move toward a more seamless, integrated imaging record.

“With six successful ViewPoint installations across NHS Wales, we’re helping ensure ultrasound reporting integrates effectively within the wider enterprise landscape.

“This gives clinicians faster, more consistent access to images and reports, smoother cross-site collaboration and improved reporting quality and, most importantly, delivers better continuity of care, greater reporting reliability, and enhanced patient safety for communities across Wales.”

Health Net Connections specialises in clinical IT solutions and system integration across NHS organisations, including ultrasound reporting and imaging platforms.