Police 'tried to smear Henry Nowak as aggressor' just three days after his murder

Hampshire Police tried to portray Henry Nowak as the aggressor against Vickrum Digwa just three days after he was murdered.

In a bombshell revelation last night, it emerged the force tried to put out a statement implying Mr Nowak had assaulted both Digwa and his brother.

An initial police statement, according to The Sunday Times, read: "It was reported two men had been assaulted by an unknown man."

In fact, the vile murderer had stabbed him with an eight-inch Sikh ceremonial knife before falsely claiming the student had racially abused him.

Police had sufficient evidence by that time to know that Digwa was a liar.

The force would later change their wording after outrage from the Nowak family.

The Nowaks had become concerned a false narrative was being pushed about their son.

Police are said to have told them their next update - which would include a family tribute - would again infer that young Henry was the initial aggressor.

Officers dropped that section of the statement, which only referred to an "altercation" when published.

The Sunday Times also revealed that Hampshire Police risked collapsing Digwa's trial by trying to issue a statement over so-called "disinformation" - while proceedings were already underway.

The statement is understood to have contained information about how a court case works, reminded people that nothing could be published that could prejudice legal proceedings, and said that police would answer questions once the trial was complete.

The force was then scolded by the Crown Prosecution Service that any intervention could jeopardise the case.

It is understood that police had "concerns" about online commentary and potential public disorder.

The CPS told the force it could risk impacting the integrity of the case against Vickrum Digwa.

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It also came to light last night that the force, already under fire for its diversity schemes, failed to take a knife from Digwa after he was arrested and did not handcuff him when he was arrested.

Even after the murderer was taken to a police station, his Sikh dagger was hanging around his neck.

The blade was only removed after a police search before he was moved into a cell, The Sun revealed.

A source said: "Either the arresting officers knew he had the kirpan on and let him keep it on after his arrest, or they missed it and it was only picked up when he was searched at the police station.

"Either way, it is a massive blunder and could have been dangerous."

A CPS spokesman has now said: "The CPS highlighted to the police that protecting the integrity of the ongoing trial was essential, and of the risks of referring to any aspect of the evidence before it had been heard by the court and the case had been summed up by the judge to the jury.

"However, it was made clear that whether a statement was released was ultimately a police operational decision."

A spokeswoman for Hampshire Police said: "Following the opening of the trial and the media reporting that followed, a significant amount of mis- and disinformation was circulating online.

"This included requests for information to be shared that had not been fully examined as part of the murder trial.

"The intention of the statement was to remind the public that there were ongoing legal proceedings and that the law is clear that nothing could be published which could prejudice the trial.

"The decision not to publish was taken following advice from the CPS."