Most people arrested during Henry Nowak protests had been reported for domestic abuse

The outburst of violence in Southampton last month came after a demonstration outside the city centre’s police station. Photograph: Jamie Lashmar/PA View image in fullscreen The outburst of violence in Southampton last month came after a demonstration outside the city centre’s police station. Photograph: Jamie Lashmar/PA Most people arrested during Henry Nowak protests had been reported for domestic abuse Exclusive: Hampshire police data reveals 22 of 37 detained had been accused or convicted of intimate partner violence Most people arrested during violent protests after the sentencing of Henry Nowak’s murderer had previously been reported to the police for domestic abuse, the Guardian can disclose. Data released by Hampshire police under freedom of information laws shows that 22 of 37 people (59%) detained in Southampton after Vickrum Digwa was jailed for life have also been reported for crimes associated with intimate partner violence. Protests took place on 2 June after police bodycam footage was released showing Nowak, 18, handcuffed as he lay dying after being stabbed by Digwa, who had falsely accused him of racism. Nowak repeatedly said he had been stabbed. Digwa stabbed Nowak with a large blade he claimed to carry as part of his Sikh faith, before falsely telling police he had been the victim of a racist attack, leading officers to initially arrest the white teenager rather than his killer. The footage led to claims from Nigel Farage and others that it was evidence of “two-tier policing” and “anti-white prejudice” within police forces. Demonstrators initially gathered outside a city centre police station, with several hundred people then attempting to march towards the murder location and the street where Digwa’s family lived. During prolonged violent disorder, 12 police officers were injured, and nearby properties and vehicles were damaged. View image in fullscreen Twelve police officers were injured during the clashes with protesters in Southampton last month. Photograph: Isabel Infantes/Reuters Harry Varney, 34, claimed he attended the public gathering to pay his respects to Nowak, but was later filmed swearing at police and punching their riot shields. He was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. In 2023, he pleaded guilty to assault by beating after pinning his partner against a bedroom wall, bruising her neck. He claimed she deserved to be beaten by a previous abusive ex-partner and continued to threaten her after this attack. She said in a written statement read out in court: “I suffer with flashbacks, anxiety attacks and nightmares. I also now struggle with my social life trusting people. I can’t be left alone with a man without feeling scared.” Dillon Crawford, 29, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment after throwing a brown bin and a metal chair “with some force” at police officers during the disturbances. He has 19 previous convictions, including for domestic abuse offences. During one incident, he broke a partner’s front