Woman who admitted disorder in Southampton Henry Nowak case given bail

A woman has been bailed after admitting violent disorder after ugly scenes broke out following a protest over police treatment of murder victim Henry Nowak.

Bethany Davies appeared in the dock at Southampton Crown Court wearing a grey sweatshirt, having pleaded guilty in relation to the incident on June 2.

The court heard that 22-year-old Davies has a history of anti-police behaviour, having assaulted two officers when she was 18.

Davies, of Tennyson Road, Yarmouth, on the Isle of Wight, had attended the disorder with fellow Islander Teagan Sims but Bridget O’Hagan, mitigating, told the court that she had been unaware of it in advance.

Ms O’Hagan, mitigating, said that Davies had only been in Southampton to act as a model for 19-year-old Sims, of Purdy Road in Carisbrooke, who was studying a hair and beauty course, and she “didn’t want to let her down”.

Ms O’Hagan said: “She didn’t even know the protest was taking place on June 2.”

The case was adjourned so that a pre-sentence report could be prepared.

The part-time cafe worker became emotional when she was granted conditional bail similar to Sims, who has also admitted violent disorder.

Siobhan Linsley, prosecuting, argued against bail being granted, raising concerns about the defendant’s previous convictions.

The prosecutor said she had showed “hostility towards the police, and has acted on it on two occasions now”.

Judge William Mousley KC said: “On everything I have seen or read, this is an appropriate case for bail.

“I am not persuaded that the concerns that have been raised about committing further offences are unmanageable, even with conditions, so I will grant bail.”

Davies was granted conditional bail to live and sleep at an address in Yarmouth, not to attend any protest or gathering of more than three people, not to leave the island and not to contact Teagan Sims.

She will be sentenced on the same day as Sims at the same court, on August 7.

Addressing Davies, the judge added: “The fact I am giving you bail, you should not take as any indication or suggestion of what sentence will be on the next occasion.”

The disorder took place on June 2, the day after Vickrum Digwa, 23, of St Denys Road, was jailed for at least 21 years for murdering Henry Nowak, 18, in Belmont Road in December last year.

On June 2, a peaceful protest outside Southampton Central Police Station turned violent after hundreds of protesters marched more than two miles to Belmont Road in Portswood.

This road saw two hours of “significant disorder”, with projectiles and a flaming bin being thrown at the police.

Body-worn video footage had shown police arresting university student Henry who had been fatally stabbed. The police watchdog the IOPC is investigating two officers for gross misconduct.

Daily Echo