Five men have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in violent disturbances that followed the conclusion of the Henry Nowak murder trial in Southampton. The unrest erupted after the 23-year-old defendant, Vickrum Digwa, was convicted of fatally stabbing 18-year-old Henry Nowak with what Digwa claimed was a Sikh religious dagger.

During the trial, prosecutors presented footage showing Henry Nowak being handcuffed while dying, after Digwa falsely told police he had been subjected to racial abuse. The murder led to significant disorder in Southampton, with police describing facing a “baying mob” that threw various projectiles at officers.

The five men, all sentenced on Tuesday, received prison terms ranging from two to three years for violent disorder and related offenses. Andrew Summerhayes, 38, from Romsey, was handed a three-year and two-month sentence for violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon. Prosecutors said Summerhayes threw a bin and a traffic cone at police officers during the disturbances.

Dillon Crawford, 29, of Southampton, received a three-year term for violent disorder after reportedly hurling a bin and a chair toward police. Taylor Grundy, 22, from Gosport, was sentenced to two and a half years for violent disorder; court reports indicate he pushed a burning bin toward officers and was visibly emotional as he was sentenced.

Daniel Frost, 44, also from Southampton, was given a sentence of two years and four months for violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon. Reece Robinson, 21, from Havant, received a two-year sentence for violent disorder following allegations that he threw stones or small bricks during the protest.

Hampshire police have so far charged 21 individuals in connection with the post-trial unrest. The violence stunned the Southampton community and underscored the tensions surrounding the trial and its aftermath. Authorities continue to investigate and pursue further prosecutions related to the incidents that followed the murder conviction.