Henry Nowak's murder has ignited a national row - but who was the 'ambitious' teen?

Henry Nowak's name has become a trending search term due to the tragic circumstances of his death and the controversy that has blown up around it.

The 18-year-old's story shot to public awareness after bodycam footage was released on Tuesday showing police cuffing him as he told them he had been stabbed.

Vickrum Digwa, 23, the man who murdered Mr Nowak and falsely told officers he had been racially abused by the university student, was sentenced to life in prison on Monday.

The police response has drawn criticism from political leaders across the divide, and protesters clashed with officers in Southampton near where he was killed.

But who was the teenager at the centre of a tragedy that has ignited national debate about policing in the UK?

'Kind, hard-working young man'

Mr Nowak was one of four siblings and grew up in Chafford Hundred in Essex.

A first-year student at Southampton University, where he studied accounting and finance, he was the first in his family to go to university.

He was described as a "kind, hard-working and ambitious young man" who was devoted to his family, in the sentencing remarks handed down by Judge William Mousley.

Mr Nowak's father, Mark, broke down in tears as he read his victim impact statement to the court.

"There is a Henry-shaped hole in our family forever and nothing will heal that," he said.

He added: "If I could swap places so the four of them could be together again, I would do so in a heartbeat."

Henry's mother, Lucy Ross, said in a statement to the court that the circumstances of her son's death were "so tragic and unimaginable that the pain is beyond anything I knew existed".

She said Henry had been the first grandchild of her parents to go to university and it was a moment that had "filled all of us with immense pride".

Mr Nowak's godmother, Kelly Hatchard, said in a Facebook tribute he was a "loving, caring, intelligent and hardworking" teen.

"To me, Henry wasn't a headline or a court case," she wrote. "He was my best friend's funny, caring, cheeky son.

"Henry had a way of making people smile without even trying. He had so much life ahead of him, so many plans, and so much love to give."

His sister Olivia Nowak said she was "proud to be his big sister."

In a Facebook post in January, she described how 600 mourners from the local community had attended his funeral, with many others lining the street outside his old school to pay tribute.

"The amount of love that was in one room just shows how well Henry carried himself throughout his life," she said.

'Wicked lies'

The life came to a premature end on 3 December. Mr Nowak was on a night out with his new university football teammates, according to a page for a fundraising event in his memory.

Mr Nowak and Digwa passed each other on Belmont Road and had an interaction during which the finance student made a comment asking if he was a "bad man", the judge's sentencing remarks said.

This may have been because of the sheathed dagger Digwa carried as a practicing Sikh.

"The tone of his voice was not aggressive or threatening but, as it turned out, a tragic error of judgment," Justice Mousley said.

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In the resulting scuffle, Digwa dealt a fatal wound to Mr Nowak's chest as well as two stab wounds to the back of his legs.

Digwa told police Mr Nowak had racially abused him, a claim which Justice Mousley branded as "wicked lies".

In the footage of Mr Nowak being handcuffed as he told police he had been stabbed, an officer can be heard replying: "Don't think you have, mate".

Ms Hatchard wrote: "This image, we will never ever be able to erase from our minds. Family, friends and now the world, will have seen that image and we all have to live with it forever.

"Shame on the monster who took you, shame on the police officer who should have helped you and shame on the organisation that trained the police officer to side with an incorrect racist slur over a dying young man. Shame on you all!!"

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