The first of the self-styled patriots who took to the streets after Nigel Farage’s calls for “pure cold rage” in the light of Henry Nowak’s horrendous stabbing murder have been in court – and one turned out to have previous for carrying a knife.
Eleven police officers were injured in disturbances in Southampton on Tuesday evening, which followed the sentencing of the killer, Vickrum Digwa. A large number of people gathered close to Digwa’s home, ostensibly to protest “two-tier policing”.
Several were arrested and charged after the protest outside Southampton Central police station – inevitably attended by far right hooligan Tommy Robinson – spilled over into violence.
Daniel Frost, 44, from Southampton, admitted violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon when he appeared before a district judge. Nola Bond, prosecuting, told the court Frost had thrown dustbins and a chair at police officers.
She said: “He had around his neck a dog lead with a carabiner [the metal shackle used by rock climbers] and wrapped it around his knuckles and taunted police officers to come and take it off him.” The judge sent the case to the city’s crown court for sentencing in July after telling the court the offences were too serious to be dealt with in a magistrates court. Magistrates can only impose a maximum sentence of a year in prison.
The court was told that Frost had 25 previous convictions, including four public disorder offences, threatening and abusive behaviour and… possession of a bladed article, i.e. a knife – the very thing that tragically ended Nowak’s life.
Oliver O’Connor, defending, said Frost had two children but lived alone with his dog. He said: “He is at pains to tell the court of his shame of his involvement, one of the biggest regrets in his life. He is a vulnerable man; he is in receipt of PIP [personal independence payment] as a result of a serious fall he had leading to a hip replacement.”
A second protester, 50-year-old army veteran Matt Styler, from Gosport, near Southampton, pleaded not guilty to kicking a police sergeant. Both were remanded in custody, while three further people – 24-year-old Connor Bishop, 21-year-old Reece Robinson and 18-year-old Noah Etherington have been charged with violent disorder.
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