Men jailed for violence at Henry Nowak police protest
Two men have been jailed for violent disorder at a protest in Southampton following the murder of Henry Nowak.
Connor Bishop, 24, was sentenced to two years and eight months and Leon O’Leary, 41, was jailed for three years and one month. Both pleaded guilty to violent disorder at a previous hearing.
They are the first people to be sentenced after violence last Tuesday night saw 11 police officers and a police dog injured as missiles including wheelie bins and chairs were thrown.
The protest happened after police bodycam footage was released showing Nowak, 18, handcuffed as he lay dying after being stabbed by Vickrum Digwa, 23, who was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years.
A total of 21 people, including Bishop, from Southampton, and O’Leary, from Basingstoke, have been charged in connection with the disorder.
Sikh Digwa stabbed Nowak with a large blade he said he carried for religious reasons, then lied to police at the scene, falsely claiming he was the victim of a racist attack, leading officers to arrest Nowak instead of his killer.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has since launched an investigation into the force’s response.
Far-Right Criminals 