Leon O’Leary and Connor Bishop: Two men jailed for violent disorder at Henry Nowak police protest in Southampton
Two men who threw traffic cones and smoke bombs at police during violent unrest in Southampton following the murder of Henry Nowak have been jailed.
Leon O’Leary, 41, and 24-year-old Connor Bishop were sentenced at Southampton Crown Court on Tuesday, a day after admitting violent disorder at the city’s magistrates’ court.
In the footage, O’Leary is seen “casually walking” through the crowd when he notices a smoke bomb on the ground, picks it up and throws it towards officers.
O’Leary also pleaded guilty to resisting a police officer and possession of an offensive weapon and was sentenced to prison.
When police arrived at his home in Basingstoke to arrest him at 3.30am on June 7, he assumed a “fighting stance” at the top of the stairs and threatened officers, who had to use pava spray to subdue him.
A samurai sword was later discovered in his bedroom.
During a search of his bedroom, officers also found O’Leary’s samurai sword, which he said he had owned for 20 years for decorative purposes only, not knowing that the law had changed regarding its ownership.
Meanwhile, 24-year-old Connor Bishop, from Southampton, was seen wearing a black jumper with the words “men get upset too” written on the back and carrying a yellow traffic cone which he threw towards the police.
In the video shown in court, other members of the crowd can be heard shouting ‘run away you pussies’.
Prosecutor Siobhan Linsley told the court the father was seen running with the cone and “followed officers with it for a period of time”.
“Once it’s thrown, it follows it back up and picks it up again,” he said.
He made no comment when he was arrested at his home address on June 3, but acknowledged being there when shown the footage.
He also admitted throwing a box of screws and drilling a hole in a wall that was not included in the footage.
During the interview, he told officers that he was raised Christian and that he “threw things to fit in the crowd” and drank small amounts of beer “which made him lazier.”
Defending Bishop, Thomas Evans said: “He is perhaps an example of peer pressure and groupthink.”
He said Bishop told him “I just wanted to act like an asshole and fit in” and that he was “so sorry” to anyone who was hurt.
Mr Evans said of Bishop and O’Leary: “They are not the instigators of this disorder but the inevitable consequences of other individuals trying to contain anger.”
O’Leary was sentenced to three years and one month’s imprisonment for the three offences, and Bishop was sentenced to two years and eight months’ imprisonment.
The disorder emerged after anger erupted following the release of body-worn video showing Mr Nowak, 18, being handcuffed by police moments before he lost consciousness and subsequently died.
Vickrum Digwa, 23, was jailed for at least 21 years for the murder of Mr Nowak after he falsely claimed the teenager had racially abused him.
