Five men have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from two to more than three years for their roles in violent disorder that erupted during a protest over the police handling of the murder of teenager Henry Nowak by 23-year-old Sikh man Vickrum Singh Digwa in Southampton.The latest convictions bring the total number of people jailed over the unrest to seven, with authorities warning that more cases are still before the courts.
Protest over murder investigation turned violent
The disorder broke out on June 2 when around 1,000 demonstrators gathered outside Southampton police station following widespread anger over the circumstances surrounding the death of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak.Public outrage intensified after police bodycam footage emerged showing officers handcuffing the dying teenager after he had been stabbed by Vickrum Digwa, who falsely claimed he had been the victim of a racist attack. Digwa was later convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years.What began as a demonstration quickly descended into chaos, leaving 12 police officers and a police dog injured as protesters hurled chairs, wheelie bins, stones and other objects at police lines.
Judge calls violence a ‘hate crime’
Sentencing the five men at Southampton Crown Court, Judge William Mousley KC described the disorder as a “hate crime”, saying it was driven by hostility towards police and, in some instances, racist attitudes.“The impact on the community was profound,” the judge said, adding that residents were left fearful and distressed by the scenes of violence.
Offenders used bins, chairs and makeshift weapons
Among those jailed was Daniel Frost, 44, a father of two from Southampton, who received a sentence of two years and four months for violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon.The court heard he threw chairs and a bin into the road before carrying a dog lead fitted with a metal carabiner that officers believed had been adapted into a makeshift knuckleduster.Reece Robinson, 21, from Havant, was sentenced to two years after being caught on video throwing stones or small bricks towards a police cordon. The court heard Robinson had no previous criminal record.Andrew Summerhayes, 38, of Romsey, received the longest sentence among the group — three years and two months. Prosecutors said he chased retreating officers with a large bin before picking up a traffic cone and continuing his pursuit. The court was told he had dozens of previous convictions.
Burning bin pushed towards police
Taylor Grundy, 22, of Gosport, was jailed for two years and six months after throwing a wooden plank at officers and helping others push a large commercial bin that had been set alight towards police lines.Dillon Crawford, 29, from Southampton, was sentenced to three years in prison after forcing his way to the front of the crowd and throwing multiple projectiles, including a wheelie bin, a metal object and a chair, at officers.Judge Mousley said the risk of serious injury from Crawford’s actions had been “obvious and substantial”.
Cost of disorder runs into hundreds of thousands
The court heard the violence came at a significant financial cost. Hampshire Police spent an estimated £443,000 on staffing and accommodation linked to the disorder, while Southampton City Council incurred clean-up costs of around £6,700.A total of 21 people have been charged in connection with the unrest, with further court proceedings expected.Meanwhile, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) continues to investigate the police response to the events surrounding Nowak’s death, which sparked the protest and subsequent violence.
