First jail terms handed down in protests over UK teen's stabbing death

MANCHESTER, England (CN) — Two men became the first people sentenced Tuesday over violent protests that erupted in the U.K. after the murder of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old who died while handcuffed, repeatedly telling police he had been stabbed and couldn’t breathe.

Authorities are continuing to investigate disorder that injured police officers and deepened a political row stretching from Westminster to Washington.

Southampton Crown Court sentenced Connor Bishop, 24, to two years and eight months in prison and Leon O’Leary, 41, to three years and one month for violent disorder. Both men had previously pleaded guilty.

Judge proceedings come as prosecutors deal with a rapidly expanding case; the number of people charged in connection with the unrest rises to 21.

Bishop was filmed throwing a traffic cone at police during the disorder. O’Leary admitted violent disorder and additional offenses including obstructing police and possessing a sword in a private place.

The sentences are the first to be imposed after rioting in Southampton last Tuesday left 11 police officers and a police dog injured. Protesters threw wheelie bins, chairs and other objects at officers as police struggled to contain crowds.

Nineteen other people had already been charged and await sentencing.

Bodycam footage turns killing into political flashpoint

The unrest followed the release of police bodycam footage showing Nowak, 18, handcuffed as he lay dying after being stabbed. Officers mistakenly treated the teenager as the attacker, despite his repeated pleas.

Nowak was killed on Dec. 3, 2025, by Vickrum Digwa, a 23-year-old British Sikh man, who was later jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years for murder. He had falsely told police he had been the victim of a racial attack and was acting in self defense.

The footage sparked anger and renewed scrutiny of police actions at the scene.

The case has since become a flashpoint in Britain’s increasingly heated debate over immigration and policing.

Right-wing politicians, activists and commentators have cited the circumstances surrounding the killing and police response as evidence of what they describe as “two-tier policing” — the claim that authorities treat communities differently based on race, religion or politics.

The issue gained national attention after Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, whose anti-immigration party won hundreds of seats in recent local elections, said people should respond with “pure cold rage” after Digwa’s sentence.

His remarks drew criticism across the political spectrum.

U.S. officials intensify criticism

The murder has also drawn intervention from senior U.S. officials.

Vice President JD Vance publicly commented on the Nowak case, blaming the death of the 18-year-old student on the “mass invasion of migrants” and said the only response was “righteous anger” — despite the murderer being born in the U.K.

This prompted a rebuke from Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Britain’s top diplomat, who said Vance’s remarks were “wrong.”

The exchange followed a wider pattern of criticism from the Trump administration toward European governments.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used a D-Day commemorative speech on Saturday to criticize European immigration policies, drawing sharp reactions from leaders across the continent.

Speaking on the 82nd anniversary of Allied forces storming the beaches of Nazi-occupied France, Hegseth said, “Sadly, today, different European beaches are stormed by different dangerous ideologies," adding, “When will European capitals do something about that invasion?"

Public opinion in Britain appears skeptical of Washington’s involvement.

A YouGov poll found 46% of Britons believed Vance’s comments were wrong compared with 33% who agreed with him, while 61% said the U.S. vice president should not be intervening in the debate.

Elon Musk also weighed in on the police response in various posts on X, leading Prime Minister Keir Starmer to accuse the tech billionaire of trying to “whip up division.”

Scrutiny grows over police conduct and public trust

The controversy has intensified scrutiny of British policing.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct, an oversight body that investigates serious complaints involving police forces in England and Wales, has opened an investigation into Hampshire Police’s response to the incident.

John Coxhead, a professor of community safety and policing at Loughborough University, said claims of two-tier policing were less important than ensuring officers can carry out their work independently.

“I think there is far too much meddling and interference in policing, often from quangos with vested interests,” Coxhead said. “The priority for policing should be without fear or favor.” Quango refers to a quasi autonomous nongovernmental organization.

Asked what reforms would help rebuild confidence, Coxhead said officers should focus on listening to communities and gathering evidence before reaching conclusions.

“The basics are, we are born with two ears and one mouth. Good investigators look and listen,” he said.

He also argued that rebuilding trust requires sustained engagement rather than reactive responses after major incidents.

“First thing is to turn up,” Coxhead said. “Having time to listen to communities and work with them on ‘what good looks like’ for them in long term solutions is the way to go.”

As courts continue processing defendants charged over the Southampton violence, the case continues to be a rallying cry by right-wing politicians and commentators raising concerns about immigration and policing.

Courthouse News reporter James Francis Whitehead is based in England.

Follow @jayfranklinlive