Three more charged over Southampton protests after Henry Nowak murder
It brings the total number of people charged after disorder in the city to 14
Three more people have been charged with violent disorder after protests in Southampton earlier this week following the murder of Henry Nowak.
It brings the total number of people charged after disorder in the city to 14. This includes two men from Havant and a man from Gosport who have all admitted their part in riot which saw bricks, chairs and bins thrown at police and residential property damaged. A second Gosport man has denied the charges.
Darren Medhurst, 36, of Carnation Road, Southampton; Jordan Hambleton, 19, of Rollesbrook Gardens, Southampton; and Callum Darch, 27, of St Blaize Road, Romsey, were charged with violent disorder, Hampshire Police said.
All of them will appear at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on Monday (June 8).
The charges come after protests following the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa, 23, to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 21 years for the murder of 18-year-old Mr Nowak in December.
Anger erupted after police body-worn video was released showing Mr Nowak being placed in handcuffs moments before he became unconscious and subsequently died.
(Video embedded in this story - contains distressing scenes)
Protests erupted near where the student was fatally stabbed, after Digwa lied and claimed he had been the victim of a racial attack. Mr Nowak was handcuffed by police who ignored his pleas that he could not breathe as he lay dying for around three minutes.
It has since been confirmed that there was nothing the police could have done during that time that could have saved the student’s life.