Two more charged over disorder at Nowak protest

7 hours ago

Reuters

Crowds first gathered outside Southampton's police station before moving to the Portswood area

A man and a woman have been charged following protests in Southampton over the murder of student Henry Nowak.

The protests on 2 June took place after police bodycam footage was released showing Nowak, 18, handcuffed as he lay dying after being stabbed by Vickrum Digwa.

Digwa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years on 1 June for Nowak's murder. His sentence has been referred to the Court of Appeal by the solicitor general under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Thomas Thacker, 35, from Southampton, and Amanda McCartney, 52, from Fratton, Portsmouth, have been charged with violent disorder. They are due to appear at Southampton Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said to date 25 people have been charged in connection with the investigation.

Several people have been jailed for their parts in the disorder.

Twelve police officers and a police dog were injured during the protest which initially saw crowds demonstrating outside the city centre police station before gathering close to the Digwa family home.

Digwa stabbed Nowak with a large blade in December 2025, which he said he carried on grounds of his Sikh faith, then lied to police at the scene, falsely claiming he was the victim of a racist attack.

It lead officers to arrest Nowak instead of his killer.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has since launched an investigation into the force's response.

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