A Gosport man denies assaulting a police officer in Southampton riot in the wake of the murder of Henry Nowak
Two men appeared in court following this week’s violence in Southampton
A Gosport man has denied assaulting a police officer in the disorder in Southampton which came in the wake of the murder of Henry Nowak.
At a hearing in Southampton Magistrates County this morning (June 4), Matt Styler, 50, of Orange Grove, pleaded not guilty to kicking a police sergeant during the Portswood disorder on Tuesday night (June 2). The court heard that the veteran soldier who served with the Parachute Regiment.
District Judge Anthony Callaway said: “He has a wife and three children, has a previous military career, suffers PTSD and other difficulties.”
He remanded Styler in custody until a pre-trial hearing to be held at Southampton Crown Court on June 26.
Meanwhile a second man Daniel Frost, 44, of Northam Road, Southampton, entered guilty pleas at the court to the disorder offence and possessing a dog lead with a metal carabiner attached.
Nola Bond, prosecuting, told the court that Frost had thrown dustbins and a chair at police officers during the protest in the Portswood area.
She added: “He had around his neck a dog lead with a carabiner and wrapped it around his knuckles and taunted police officers to come and take it off him.”
As previously reported by The News, the protest followed the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa, 23, for the murder of 18-year-old Mr Nowak in December. A trial heard that Digwa had lied to police attending the scene by saying he had been racially abused by Mr Nowak and denying he had stabbed him.
But anger erupted after police body-worn video was released showing Mr Nowak being placed in handcuffs moments before he became unconscious and subsequently died, with officers seemingly not believing the teenager when he told them he had been stabbed.
WARNING - VIDEO EMBEDDED IN THIS STORY
A protest in Southampton turned violent with bricks among the items thrown at police officers, with damage also caused to the residential area by the rioters.
The court was told that Frost had previously received 25 convictions for 55 offences, including an offence against the person in 2001, four public disorder offences between 2006 and 2011, offences of failing to surrender in 1999 and 2008, possession of a bladed article in 2009 and threatening and abusive behaviour in 2010 and 2011.
Oliver O’Connor, defending, said Frost had two children but lived alone with his dog.
He said: “He is at pains to tell the court of his shame of his involvement, one of the biggest regrets in his life.
“He is a vulnerable man, he is in receipt of PIP (personal independence payment) as a result of a serious fall he had leading to a hip replacement.”
Judge Callaway sent the case to be sentenced at the city’s crown court after telling the court the offences were too serious for the powers of the magistrates’ court.
He remanded the defendant in custody and ordered a pre-sentence report for the sentencing hearing to be held at the crown court on July 16.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is meeting the family of Henry Nowak, at Downing Street in a private meeting this afternoon.
The Prime Minister urged politicians to heed Mr Nowak’s relatives’ calls not to use the case “to cause disturbances”.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch also stressed that Mr Nowak’s family “do not want anger to tear communities apart”, after meeting his mother, father and stepmother this morning.