22 charged after violent disorder in Southampton protest over murder case

A protest linked to the murder of Henry Nowak escalated into violent disorder in Southampton, with police saying bottles were thrown, makeshift weapons were used, and homes, vehicles and officers were targeted. By 10 June, 22 people had been charged as the incident moved from a demonstration into a widening public-order case.

Hampshire Constabulary said the violence erupted on 2 June and quickly spread beyond the protest itself. Officers said the scenes included damage to the homes and vehicles of innocent residents, along with threats and violence directed at police. Southampton City Council said the events were deeply concerning and left many residents unsettled.

The charging pace showed how quickly the case expanded. Two men were charged on 4 June: Matt Styler, 50, of no fixed abode from Gosport, with assault by beating of an emergency worker, and Daniel Frost, 44, of Northam Road in Southampton, with violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon. Three more people were charged on 5 June, followed by another six on 8 June. Denis Read, 28, of Addison Road in Sarisbury Green, was charged with violent disorder on 9 June, when police said 21 people had been charged in total. A further charge on 10 June brought the number to 22.

The unrest followed a protest over the death of Henry Nowak, who was murdered on 3 December 2025. The case has already prompted scrutiny of police handling, with the Independent Office for Police Conduct continuing its investigation into police contact with Nowak immediately before his death. Donna Jones, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight police and crime commissioner, has also commissioned an independent review into the events surrounding the murder and the wider police response.

Jones condemned the violence and said the protest “took it too far.” In a separate statement, she said, “The protest last night got out of hand. The scenes represented public disorder and put communities on the edge.” For Southampton, the episode has become a stark example of how grief and anger around a murder investigation can tip into disorder, leaving residents, officers and local authorities dealing with the fallout long after the protest ends.