Four additional men have confessed to charges of violent disorder stemming from the demonstration following Henry Nowak’s killing. Andrew Summerhayes, 38, Dillon Crawford, 29, Harry Varney, 34, and Taylor Grundy, 22, entered guilty pleas at Southampton magistrates court on Saturday. Summerhayes also admitted to possessing offensive weapons in a public setting.
According to Prosecutor Robert Salame, Summerhayes allegedly hurled objects, including bins, at police officers, while Crawford used large items such as bins and chairs against them. Varney reportedly resisted police instructions, pushing against their shields, and Grundy was said to have pushed a large industrial bin towards riot police.
The quartet were part of a group that clashed with riot police as they tried to reach the residence of Henry’s killer, Vickrum Digwa, on Tuesday evening. The protest was in response to a video showing the 18-year-old dying while handcuffed, ignored by officers despite his pleas for help after being stabbed.
Tragically, Henry had sustained fatal knife wounds inflicted by Digwa, who falsely claimed to have been attacked and pretended not to harm the student. The four defendants provided their personal details in court before being detained to appear at Southampton Crown Court next week.
In another development, four more men have pleaded guilty, bringing the total charged in connection with the protest to eleven. Connor Bishop, who threw a traffic cone at police, was among those charged with violent disorder. Noah Etherington, 18, admitted to violent disorder by throwing a brick at officers, while Reece Robinson, 21, admitted to similar charges by hurling objects at police. Daniel Frost, 44, confessed to violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon, revealing he had wrapped a dog lead around his knuckles to provoke officers.
Additionally, Kevin Reeves, 31, and Andrew Riddett, 38, did not enter pleas to charges of violent disorder. Reeves is accused of using large objects, such as traffic cones, against police, while Riddett allegedly spat at an officer and incited violence against law enforcement.
Meanwhile, Matt Styler pleaded not guilty to assaulting an emergency worker during the unrest. The 50-year-old military veteran allegedly kicked a police sergeant after being asked to move from a wall he was sitting on. Styler, a father of three and former member of the Army’s Parachute Regiment, saluted a spectator before being taken into custody. Authorities are reviewing protest footage, anticipating further arrests.