Three Men Admit Violent Disorder Following Henry Nowak Murder Protests in Southampton

Connor Bishop, 24, Reece Robinson, 21, and Noah Etherington, 18, have admitted to violent disorder following demonstrations in Southampton. These protests occurred in the aftermath of the killing of Henry Nowak, 18.

The three men entered their pleas during separate magistrates' court hearings in Southampton and Portsmouth. Their arrests followed protests on Tuesday night, which were reportedly triggered by the release of police bodycam footage. The footage depicted Nowak being placed in handcuffs after he had been stabbed by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa.

Bishop, a resident of Southampton, and Robinson and Etherington, both from Havant, have been remanded in custody. They are scheduled for sentencing at Southampton Crown Court on Monday.

Prosecutor Kevin Lucie informed Southampton Magistrates' Court that CCTV footage showed Bishop "picking up and throwing a traffic cone" towards police officers. Separately, Portsmouth Magistrates' Court heard that Etherington was visible in multiple video clips near the police line, where he threw a brick in the direction of officers.

In related proceedings, Daniel Frost, 44, of Southampton, pleaded guilty on Thursday to violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon, specifically a dog lead with a metal carabiner, in connection with the same protests. Another individual, 50-year-old Matt Styler from Gosport, entered a plea of not guilty to assaulting a police officer.

The circumstances surrounding Nowak's treatment, originally from Chafford Hundred in Essex, have led to political discourse. The Prime Minister reportedly urged public figures to respect the wishes of Nowak's family, who had called for the case not to be exploited "to cause disturbances."

Vickrum Digwa, Nowak's killer, was sentenced on Monday to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 21 years.