Two men have been jailed for their parts in disorder in Southampton following the murder of Henry Nowak, during which police were surrounded by a "baying mob throwing projectiles".
Sentences handed down
Father-of-two Daniel Frost, 44, from Southampton, was sentenced to two years and four months in prison for violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon – a dog lead with a metal carabiner which he had fashioned into a "makeshift knuckleduster". Reece Robinson, 21, of Havant, was jailed for two years for violent disorder after he threw two stones or small bricks during the protest in the Portswood area on June 2.
Judge's comments
Judge William Mousley KC, sitting at Southampton Crown Court, said of the disorder: "This violence was a hate crime borne out of a hatred for police and in some part racist views." He added: "The impact on the community was profound, local residents were subjected to fear, distress and genuine sense of danger."
Prosecution details
Siobhan Linsley, prosecuting, previously told the court that Frost was visible in police body-worn video wearing a camouflage face-covering as he threw chairs from a garden into the road in front of the officers. She said the defendant then "somewhat ostentatiously wraps the rope around his arm and the clip around his hand, forming what the observing officers feared to be a handmade knuckle-duster". Ms Linsley added: "In response to hearing this, the defendant said it was a dog lead but repeatedly invited the officers to come and take it from him. He then told them that it will take four of them to remove it from him and that if they tried to do so 'these lot will f*** you right up, come and get it', referring to the crowd around him."
Ms Linsley said that after he was arrested, Frost described the disorder as "a big party" and called one of the interviewing police officers "a gaslighting bitch". She said Frost had 25 previous convictions for 55 offences, including a six-year sentence for robbery and GBH, weapons offences, public order offences and burglary offences.
Describing Robinson's involvement, Ms Linsley said: "Mr Robinson was seen at the disorder on St Denys Road, he was topless with an orange high-vis vest around his neck obscuring his face. He bent down to pick up small stones or bricks on two occasions and throws them towards the police cordon." She added that when Robinson, who has no previous convictions or cautions, was arrested, he told officers: "I didn't really do much."
Other sentencings
Frost and Robinson were the third and fourth men to be jailed following the sentencing of Leon O'Leary, 41, from Basingstoke, and Connor Bishop, 24, of Southampton, on Tuesday. O'Leary was sentenced to three years and one month in prison for violent disorder, resisting a police officer and possession of an offensive weapon – a samurai sword in his bedroom – and Bishop was jailed for two years and eight months for violent disorder.
Defence arguments
Francisca Da Costa, defending Frost, said: "He regrets his actions and his words and that is reflected in his guilty plea." She said he became involved after coming across the protest at about 9.45pm and joined because "as a father himself he felt particularly saddened by the needless tragedy of losing someone so young". Ms Da Costa said the labourer "wishes to distance himself" from the far-right organisers of the protest and that, for him, "it was simply a protest against the police and circumstances of recent weeks". She added he "accepts using deeply offensive language but nothing inflammatory in respect of race relations".
Bridget O'Hagan, defending Robinson, said he had no previous convictions and that he joined the protest "out of curiosity" and became involved in a "moment of madness" which was "probably the biggest mistake he will make in his life" and he was "upset" because he had "let his family and his girlfriend down". She added: "It's totally out of character what took place, he is not a member of any far-right group or social media group. He got swept up in the emotion of what was taking place. He is deeply ashamed and remorseful."
Judge Mousley told him: "I recognise in your case there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation but that is outweighed by the seriousness of the offence which demands immediate imprisonment."
Background to the disorder
A total of 21 people have been charged with violent disorder following a demonstration of around 1,000 people outside central Southampton police station at 6pm on June 2 to protest against the circumstances around Mr Nowak's death and the actions of police. Anger had erupted after police body-worn video was released showing Mr Nowak being placed in handcuffs moments before he became unconscious and subsequently died.
The court was shown video footage of the protesters making their way down Belmont Road and Judge Mousley commented: "That is exactly the area where Henry Nowak was murdered. Vickrum Digwa lived with his family but a few minutes walk from there." Ms Linsley said: "The purpose for some of those and the speaker who was riling up the crowds was to try to locate that property."
The disorder, which Ms Linsley described as a "baying mob throwing projectiles" at the police officers, lasted around two-and-a-half hours, with 12 police officers injured, mainly by being hit by bricks, and a police dog was assaulted with cuts to its legs. A member of the public who was not part of the protest also suffered a broken jaw, Ms Linsley said. She added that the cost of the policing operation, including accommodating officers brought in from other areas, was £434,000.
Upcoming cases
The cases of Noah Etherington, 18, of Havant, and Kevin Reeves, 31, of Southampton, who both pleaded guilty to violent disorder, have been adjourned to be sentenced on June 30. Judge Mousley adjourned the case of Andrew Riddett, of Seacombe Green, Southampton, for a mental health report to be prepared on the 38-year-old and a trial date set of November 18 with a preliminary hearing on September 4.
