Hampshire Constabulary has announced that six more individuals have been charged with violent disorder following the Southampton riots, bringing the grand total of people who apparently thought this was a good idea to 11.
The newly accused are Kevin Reeves, 31; Andrew Riddett, 38; Harry Varney, 34; Taylor Grundy, 22; Dillon Crawford, 29; and Andrew Summerhayes, 38 - the last of whom added a little extra flair by also being charged with possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, because why stop at one charge? They were all scheduled to appear at Southampton Magistrates Court on Saturday morning, presumably to explain their life choices.
The unrest erupted after the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa, 23, to life imprisonment with a minimum of 21 years for the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak. Things got spicy when police released bodycam footage showing Nowak being handcuffed moments before losing consciousness and dying - a detail that tends to upset people.
The evening started peacefully enough outside Southampton's central police station, but then hundreds of people decided to march across the city to Digwa's neighborhood, where Nowak died. By Wednesday morning, car windows were smashed and bricks littered the roads - the classic aftermath of a protest that went off the rails.
Chief Constable Alexis Boon reported that 11 officers and a police dog were injured while doing their jobs, which is exactly the kind of statistic that makes you question humanity. Labour council leader Sarah Bogle suspects some out-of-town troublemakers joined the fun, because apparently local chaos wasn't enough.
Far-right activist Tommy Robinson (aka Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, for those keeping score at home) addressed the crowd, who waved Union flags and held signs reading "Henry's blood is on your hands" and "Save our kids." They chanted "Racist police, off our streets" and "Shame on you" - a spirited call-and-response that didn't exactly calm things down.
Digwa stabbed Nowak, a University of Southampton student, five times, then claimed Nowak had racially abused and assaulted him - leading police to arrest and handcuff the victim. After the sentencing, Nowak's father Mark condemned the "inhumane and degrading" treatment but pleaded: "We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension." A sentiment that apparently didn't reach everyone in the crowd.
The case has sparked a political row, with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage calling for "pure, cold rage" and claiming minority rights are prioritized over white citizens. Prime Minister Keir Starmer countered that Mark Nowak's words "resonated with people across the country" and warned against letting tragedy be hijacked by dividers - a classic political tug-of-war over a grieving father's plea.