Additional Sentences for Southampton Protest Violence
Three more men have been sentenced for violent disorder during a protest in Southampton following the murder of Henry Nowak. This brings the total number of men jailed in connection with the unrest last week to 13. During the disorder, 12 police officers and a police dog sustained injuries.
Denis Read, 28, from Addison Road, Sarisbury Green, received a prison term of two years and two months. Harry Varney, 24, of Briarswood, Southampton, was sentenced to two years and eight months, while Benjamin Jones, 23, from Locksley Road, Eastleigh, was given a three-year sentence.
The protest occurred on 2 June after police bodycam footage was released showing Nowak, 18, handcuffed and lying dying after being stabbed by Vickrum Digwa. Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years for the murder.
Read, Varney, and Jones pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Southampton Magistrates' Court and were sentenced by Judge William Mousley KC at Southampton Crown Court.
The sentencing of Mariusz Szczyglo, 45, of Grove Road, Southampton, has been adjourned until 30 June.
The court previously heard that the disorder cost the police £443,000 for staffing and accommodation, while Southampton City Council incurred £6,700 in clean-up expenses.
A total of 22 individuals have been charged in relation to the incident. The unrest began with crowds demonstrating outside the city centre police station before moving near to the home of the Digwa family.
Digwa stabbed Nowak with a large blade in December 2025. He claimed to carry the weapon due to his Sikh faith and subsequently lied to police at the scene, falsely asserting he was the victim of a racist attack. This misinformation led officers to arrest Nowak instead of Digwa.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into the police response to the incident.
