Six Charged Following Southampton Protests
Six men have been charged in connection with protests held in Southampton after the murder of Henry Nowak.
Hampshire Police reported that the men, aged in their 20s and 30s, including four from Southampton and one each from Gosport and Romsey, were charged following incidents of violent disorder in the city on Tuesday night.
Context of the Protests
The protests occurred after the release of police bodycam footage showing 18-year-old Nowak being handcuffed following a stabbing. Vickrum Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday for the murder.
Legal Proceedings
All six men have been remanded in custody and are scheduled to appear at Southampton Magistrates' Court later. This increases the total number of individuals charged following the protests to 11.
The five men charged with violent disorder are:
- Connor Bishop, 24
- Reece Robinson, 21
- Noah Etherington, 18
- Daniel Frost, 44
- Matt Styler, 50
Additionally, Andrew Summerhayes, 38, of Banning Street, Romsey, has been charged with violent disorder and two counts of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.
Plea Details
Three men pleaded guilty to violent disorder on Friday. Connor Bishop, Reece Robinson, and Noah Etherington admitted the charge during magistrates' court hearings in Southampton and Portsmouth.
Daniel Frost, 44, of Southampton, pleaded guilty on Thursday to violent disorder and possessing a dog lead with a metal carabiner as an offensive weapon following the protests.
Matt Styler, 50, of Gosport, pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer.
Background on Henry Nowak's Case
Henry Nowak, from Chafford Hundred in Essex, was fatally stabbed in Southampton in December by Vickrum Digwa. Digwa falsely claimed he had been racially abused and acted in self-defence.
Nowak was a first-year accountancy and finance student at the University of Southampton.
