Two men charged after Southampton disorder over Henry Nowak murder

Daniel Frost admits throwing bins at police and Matt Styler pleads not guilty to assaulting officer

A man has admitted throwing bins at officers and arming himself with a makeshift knuckle duster during the disorder in Southampton after the sentencing of a man for the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak.

Daniel Frost, 44, from Southampton, admitted violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon when he appeared before a district judge on Thursday.

Eleven police officers were injured in the disturbance, which took place close to the home of the killer, Vickrum Digwa.

Nola Bond, prosecuting, told the court 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.”

Judge Callaway sent the case to the city’s crown court for sentencing in July after telling the court the offences were too serious to be dealt with in a magistrates court.

The court was told that Frost had 25 convictions, including four public disorder offences, possession of a bladed article and threatening and abusive behaviour.

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.”

A second protester, 50-year-old army veteran Matt Styler, from Gosport, near Southampton, pleaded not guilty to kicking a police sergeant. Both men were remanded in custody.

The police watchdog has urged people to stop speculating about the circumstances of Nowak’s death, who was handcuffed by police as he lay dying from stab wounds after Digwa claimed he had racially abused and assaulted him.

The director of the Independent Office for Police Conduct, Derrick Campbell, said: “We are acutely aware of the public interest in this case. We would respectfully ask people to stop speculating on an ongoing live investigation.

“This investigation is going to fully establish the circumstances of the case including whether there may be misconduct on the part of any of the officers involved.

“The ongoing commentary about the evidence and speculation risks prejudicing any potential processes and preventing Henry Nowak’s family getting the answers they deserve.”

After Digwa was jailed, Nowak’s father, Mark, condemned the “inhumane and degrading” treatment of his son by police, but said: “We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We want his story to help make our streets safer for everyone.”

The disorder broke out after a protest outside Southampton Central police station attended by the far-right activist Tommy Robinson.

At a hearing at Winchester coroner’s court, Jason Pegg, the area coroner for Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton, said Nowak’s inquest would be held before a jury, which would analyse the actions of the police who attended the scene of his death.

“The issue in this case is likely to be whether any act or omission by a police officer, or any delay in the treatment Henry received, caused or contributed to death,” he said.

“When Henry Nowak died he had been arrested. He was in the custody of the state.” Pegg said that meant the inquest would not just look at how Nowak’s death came about but the broader circumstances.

In relation to the murder trial in which Digwa was found guilty, Pegg said: “In the crown court, Henry’s family were not themselves represented and they were not able to discuss particular things in that hearing because the function of the crown court is not the same as the coroner’s court.”

He set a date for September next year for the inquest, but said it could be brought forward.