Four Palestine Action activists found guilty of criminal damage over raid at UK base of defence company

Four Palestine Action activists have been found guilty of criminal damage over a raid at the UK base of an Israeli-based defence company.

Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio and Fatema Rajwani were in a prison van which crashed into shutters at the Elbit Systems factory in Bristol.

The raid occurred in the early hours of August 6, 2024.

The activists, all wearing red boilersuits, then set about destroying property inside the factory.

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They then clashed with security guards and police who attempted to stop the raid.

Head, 30, was driving the prison van, which was used as a “battering ram” to break into the facility, Woolwich Crown Court was told.

The raid had been "meticulously organised" and was aimed at "causing as much damage as possible and obtain information about the company”, said prosecutor Deanna Heer KC.

The activists used sledgehammers and crowbars they had brought with them to destroy computers, drones, and other equipment.

Fire extinguishers were also used to spray red paint across the walls and floor.

The group caused an estimated £1million of damage during the raid, Woolwich Crown Court was told at a retrial.

Head, Corner, Kamio and Rajwani were each found guilty of criminal damage after a jury deliberated for more than 14 hours.

Two other activists, Zoe Rogers and Jordan Devlin, who had been charged with criminal damage, were found not guilty.

Corner was also found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm by a majority of 11 to one.

He was cleared of grievous bodily harm with intent.

Jurors were told at the start of the trial that the allegations came before Palestine Action's proscription under terrorism laws last year, and the ban was not relevant to the case.

The jury previously failed to reach a verdict on the criminal damage charge after deliberating for more than 36 hours, prompting this retrial on the same charges.

The court heard that Elbit Systems UK manufactures defence technology and is a UK-registered company, with its parent company based in Israel.

The defendants all previously denied any intention to use violence, telling jurors the sledgehammers were not "in any circumstances intended to injure security staff".

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