Man jailed for violence at Henry Nowak protest

A man who was part of a mob that attacked police officers following a murder trial has been handed a two-year jail sentence.

Peter Black, 46, pleaded guilty at Southampton Crown Court to violent disorder in the city on 2 June.

He is the 34th person to be charged over the night of violence, which followed the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa for murdering student Henry Nowak.

The court heard Black, of Waterhouse Lane, Southampton, had 26 previous convictions for 141 offences and was previously jailed for ordering a semi-automatic handgun on the dark web.

The Glock 19 pistol was seized after it had been posted from the US, concealed inside a household item, to a property in Portsmouth.

At the time, police described Black as a "potentially dangerous individual".

During the Southampton disorder, 12 police officers were injured after bricks, bottles and other objects were thrown at them.

It followed revelations about the police's treatment of Nowak, who was initially arrested and handcuffed before his fatal injury was discovered.

His killer, Digwa, used a blade he claimed to have carried as part of his Sikh faith and falsely told police he had been the victim of a racist attack, the court heard.

Judge William Mousley KC previously said the violent protest was a "hate crime, borne out of hatred of the police and in some cases racist views".