He was involved in protests against police after Henry Nowak’s murder trial

A former Portsmouth man who ordered a gun was part of an angry protest that attacked police officers following a murder trial.

Peter Black, 46, was jailed for two years after he pleaded guilty at Southampton Crown Court to violent disorder on 2 June after becoming the 34th person to be charged following the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa for murdering student Henry Nowak.

Police in Southampton during a protest following the death of Henry Nowak (Jamie Lashmar/PA)

placeholder image — Police in Southampton during a protest following the death of Henry Nowak (Jamie Lashmar/PA)

During the Southampton disorder, 12 police officers were injured after bricks, bottles and other objects were thrown at them. Protests were sparked after Nowak was initially arrested and handcuffed before his fatal injury was discovered by police.

His killer, Digwa, used a blade he claimed to have carried as part of his Sikh faith and falsely told police he had been the victim of a racist attack, the court heard.

The court heard Black, of Waterhouse Lane, Southampton, had 26 previous convictions for 141 offences and was previously jailed for ordering a semi-automatic handgun on the dark web from America to a Portsmouth address.