Seven people have now been jailed following disorder that broke out at a protest in Southampton over the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak.
The protest began peacefully outside Southampton Central Police Station before moving to St Denys Road, where it escalated into violence on Tuesday, June 2.
The gathering came after the release of police body-worn video showing Henry being handcuffed shortly before he became unconscious and later died.
Henry’s killer, Vickrum Digwa, 23, had been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years the day before the protest.
As the demonstration turned violent, officers were targeted with a range of objects including bricks, fence panels, industrial bins, chairs and traffic cones.
The disorder continued into the evening and resulted in multiple arrests, with several cases now progressing through the courts.
Here is a round-up - and the faces - of the seven people who have been jailed so far.
Police targeted with traffic cone by protester
Connor Bishop, 24, from Southampton, admitted violent disorder after footage showed him wearing a black jumper with “boys get sad too” on the back and carrying a yellow traffic cone which he threw towards officers. The father was seen running with the cone and “pursuing officers for some time with it”, before following it, picking it up again and continuing his actions, the court heard. He also admitted throwing a box of screws and punching a wall, although those incidents were not captured on video.
In interview, Bishop said he had been brought up Christian and claimed he “threw items to fit into the crowd”, adding that a small amount of beer had made him “more lairy”. His barrister, Thomas Evans, said Bishop was “perhaps an example of peer pressure and group thinking” and quoted him as telling the court: “I was just being a d***, I wanted to fit in”, adding that he was “very sorry” to anyone who was hurt. Bishop was jailed for two years and eight months.
Smoke grenade thrown and samurai sword later found
Leon O’Leary, 41, from Basingstoke, also pleaded guilty to violent disorder, as well as resisting a police officer and possessing an offensive weapon. The court was told he threw a smoke grenade towards police during the stand‑off, and that officers later found a samurai sword at his home when they went to arrest him, which formed the basis of the weapons charge.
O’Leary was jailed for three years and one month.
Man who turned dog lead into a weapon
Daniel Frost, 44, of Northam Road, Southampton, admitted violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon – a dog lead with a metal carabiner. He threw two dustbins and a chair into the road before taking the dog lead and carabiner out of his pocket, wrapping it around his hand and taunting police by telling them to come and take it from him.
During footage of the protest shown to the court, Frost, who lost a tooth when arrested, said: “You want my lead, come and … take it. It is going to take four of you at least. This lot will … you up.” Afterwards, he described the protest to police as a “big party”.
Francisca Da Costa, mitigating, said Frost had not attended the morning protest outside the police station and only took part at around 9.50pm, adding that, as a father, he felt particularly struck by “the needless tragedy of losing someone so young”. Judge William Mousley KC sentenced him to two years and four months in prison.
“Moments of madness” as protester throws bricks
Reece Robinson, 21, of Soberton Road, Havant, admitted violent disorder after a recorded livestream from the crowd showed him wearing his high‑vis orange shirt around his neck and over his mouth, and picking up and throwing either two rocks or bits of bricks at the police cordon.
When he was arrested at his home on June 3 he told police: “I didn’t really do much.” His barrister, Bridget O’Hagan, told the court he was not part of a far‑right group and had attended with a friend from work out of “pure curiosity”, describing his actions as “totally out of character”, “moments of madness and probably the biggest mistake of his life”, saying he “got swept up in the emotion of what was taking place”. Robinson was jailed for two years.
Man who says he let down Henry’s family
Dad-of-two Dillon Crawford, 29 of Wilton Avenue, Southampton, pleaded guilty to violent disorder after throwing bins and part of a metal chair at police during the protest. He told officers he had cried after seeing footage of Henry Nowak’s arrest and attended the demonstration out of respect for the 18-year-old, but said in interview that “just five minutes of stupidity could ruin his life”.
In court, Crawford appeared remorseful, apologised in a letter saying “I have let my family down, and Henry’s family down”, and told someone in the public gallery “look after our girl” as he was led to the cells. He will miss the birth of his third child after being jailed for three years.
Bin and traffic cone used as weapons
Andrew Summerhayes, 38, of Banning Street, Romsey, admitted violent disorder and two counts of possessing an offensive weapon – a bin and a traffic cone. The court heard he picked up a bin and tried to catch up with a line of police who were attempting to get to safety after being trapped in the crowd, stumbling and dropping it before picking up and then dropping a traffic cone and stepping aside so others could surge forward.
When arrested and asked why he attended the protest, Summerhayes replied “police are paedophiles” and, when asked why he thought that, said: “Because they wear uniforms. They just haven’t been caught yet.” He has 25 convictions for 45 offences, including racially aggravated offences against police, but his barrister, Maddison Fisher, said he has not offended in ten years, plays an active role in his young daughter’s life and “wants your honour to know there is regret there”. He was jailed for three years and two months.
Tearful “sheep” who pushed burning bin
Taylor Grundy, 22, of Pavilion Way, Gosport, pleaded guilty to violent disorder after he was seen climbing over a wall, throwing planks of wood at a line of police and helping to push a burning bin towards officers. He was identified in footage by his distinctive red jacket and later handed himself in after learning police had been to his mother’s house, initially claiming he had only watched from a distance.
His barrister, Simon Walters, described him as “a sheep” rather than a “shepherd”, saying Grundy had a “considerably underdeveloped understanding” of the issues around the case and was swept up in the “anger and emotion”, adding that his client “doesn’t want to go to any protests again”. Grundy cried as he was jailed for two years and six months.
