Man becomes 34th charged over Nowak protest unrest

A 46-year-old man has become the 34th person charged following protests over the murder of student Henry Nowak in Southampton.

Twelve police officers were injured when violence broke out on 2 June, after police bodycam footage was released showing 18-year-old Nowak being handcuffed as he lay dying.

The day before the demonstrations, Nowak's killer, Vickrum Digwa, was jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years. He had falsely claimed he had been the victim of a racist attack.

Peter Black, 46, from the city, appeared at Southampton Magistrates' Court on 24 July charged with violent disorder.

He remains in custody and is due to be sentenced at Southampton Crown Court on 14 August.

Hampshire Police published the charge on Monday. It brings the total of people charged over the protests to 34.

Digwa is seeking to appeal against his conviction and sentence, while the Solicitor General Ellie Reeves has referred his sentence to the Court of Appeal to be reviewed under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Vickrum Digwa, his brother and his father have pleaded not guilty to multiple weapons offence charges.

The three men are due to stand trial at Southampton Magistrates' Court in September 2027.

Digwa's mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, was jailed for three years in July for removing a knife from the scene of Henry Nowak's murder.

The 18-year-old, from Chafford Hundred in Essex, was fatally stabbed in December by Digwa, who falsely claimed he had been racially abused.

Nowak was a first-year accountancy and finance student at the University of Southampton.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating two officers for potential gross misconduct.

The police watchdog said evidence suggested the two officers who arrived first might have breached professional standards.