During my latter years in the police, I commanded many public order operations and protests including some where emotions ran dangerously high and counter protests were simultaneously staged. It was always my ethos, and that of Sussex Police, to facilitate peaceful protest whilst balancing the rights of others to go about their normal day-to-day business.
How single tragedies are being exploited to incite violence
What I will never accept nor understand is the vitriolic and organised way in which single tragic incidents are turned into an excuse for violent disorder by those who have little care for the real victims or their families. I abhor how ordinary men and women, just like you, me or our children, who are brave enough to don a police uniform and put their own lives on hold to protect others are viciously targeted and become the scapegoat for the original offenders’ crimes. I’m also appalled when the repugnant acts of those criminals are turned into racist and political capital here and overseas.
I am of course referencing the aftermath of the terrible, senseless murder of Henry Nowak by Vickrum Digwa and the attack by Hadi Alodid on Stephen Ogilvy in Belfast which has left him with serious life changing injuries. Both incidents are the acts of one person and one person alone. In Henry’s case, Digwa has been tried and convicted and in Stephen’s case, Alodid has also been charged and is awaiting trial.
Blaming whole communities and police for one man’s crime
Around Henry’s case there are serious questions about what happened when police arrived and the action they took but those questions are being explored by the appropriate authorities. Whatever the outcome it is the individual officers and what they did or did not do that is the issue not every single officer in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. Neither is Harry’s murder the fault of the Sikh community who are now suffering backlash and attacks. It is the vicious act of one man now serving a life sentence. Yet the thugs, for they are not protestors, just need a glimmer of an opportunity to vilify those groups. They need next to no excuse to attack those officers left to police Southampton and to target those officers the flawed AI chatbot, Grok, erroneously fingered as attending Henry. The same is the case in Belfast where the courage of members of the community and police officers in stopping the attack and arresting the suspect has evolved into another excuse to violently target the homes and communities of the innocent, and brave police officers, just like those who saved Stephen’s life.
The human cost for police officers targeted by mobs
Imagine being one of those officers. You’ve turned up for work expecting a normal day, sure there might be some conflict. Then you’re told to don your public order uniform and head out to face a violent mob who want to kill you for something that you have no knowledge of or responsibility for. Yet, because you’re brave enough to wear a uniform, you have a target on your back. Imagine being an officer who left the police long before Harry’s murder yet dubious technology has fingered you out as being somehow responsible for Harry’s death so you have to be moved to a safe house to protect you and your family.
This is not protest, it’s an excuse to attack the police
This is not protest. This is not free speech. This is not holding the police to account. This is looking for any excuse, however flaky, to attack the very people and organisations that day in day out are the shield between the law-abiding majority and those who would do us harm. These officers are not faceless individuals behind uniforms, they are human beings; daughters, sons, partners, siblings and parents. They have done nothing but to swear an oath to protect others and for that the thugs, twisted by toxic ideologies and without an iota of intelligence to form their own thoughts would happily maim and murder them in pursuit of their sick aims.
Why we must all denounce these race riots
We should rally against this senseless reaction every time someone of a different skin colour or heritage commits a crime. Our politicians need to show true leadership so that all our communities and those who dare to stand in harm’s way are properly protected. And, for our part, it’s time we all became deafeningly vocal in demonising and denouncing these hateful race riots.
I originally wrote this for my weekly column in The Argus, published on Monday, 15 June 2026.
