Eight activists appear in court over break-in at Israeli defence firm’s UK site
The group appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday where they were ordered to appear at the Old Bailey on December 6.
Eight pro-Palestine protesters have appeared in court after being charged over allegedly breaking into an Israel-based defence firm’s site in South Gloucestershire.
Elbit Systems UK’s site near Patchway, Bristol, was allegedly attacked by members of Palestine Action in the early hours of August 6, the Old Bailey heard previously.
Sean Middlebrough, 32, Aleksandra Herbich, 40, Tutea Hoxa, 28, Julija Brigadirova, 32, Huba Muraisi, 30, Qesser Zuhrah, 19, Zahra Farooque, 24, and Kamran Ahmed, 27, are all accused of aggravated burglary and criminal damage.
Hoxa, from Beckenham, south-east London, and Brigadirova, of Manchester, only face those two counts.
While Middlebrough, of Liverpool, Herbich, of Kensal Rise, north-west London, Zuhrah, of Woolwich, south-east London, Muraisi, of Bloomsbury, central London, Farooque, of Fulham, south-west London, and Ahmed, of East Ham, east London, have also been charged with violent disorder.
The group appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday where they were ordered to appear at the Old Bailey on December 6.
District Judge Snow refused the defendants bail and remanded them in custody.
At least 30 friends and family appeared in the public gallery, waiving at the defendants and pumping their fists in the air as they appeared.
After the judge’s decision to refuse them bail, a number of supporters burst into tears. Outside, a small group was staging a protest and waving Palestinian flags near the entrance to the court.
A previous court hearing was told a vehicle was driven into the building’s doors during the protest, and two responding police officers and a security guard were injured.
Ten others have appeared in court and are due to stand trial next year charged over the same incident.
Samuel Corner, 22, of Devon, is charged with criminal damage, violent disorder, and aggravated burglary using a sledgehammer as an offensive weapon.
He is also charged with wounding police sergeant Kate Evans “with intent to resist or prevent the lawful apprehension or detention of another”.
It is also alleged he caused actual bodily harm to Angelo Volante and Pc Aaron Buxton.
Jordan Devlin, 30, of Stoke Newington, north-east London, Charlotte Head, 28, of Caerleon, Newport, South Wales, Leona Kamio, 28, of Hackney, east London, Fatema Rajwani, 20, of East Mitcham, Merton, south-west London, and Zoe Rogers, 20, of Enfield, north London, are all charged with criminal damage, violent disorder and aggravated burglary using a sledgehammer.
Hannah Davidson, 51, of Calder Gardens, Edinburgh, Ian Sanders, 45, of Regent Place, Leamington Spa, William Plastow, 33, of High Croft Avenue, Manchester, and Madeline Norman, 29, of Wester Drylaw Drive, Edinburgh, are also jointly charged with criminal damage and aggravated burglary using a sledgehammer in relation to the incident.
Norman is also charged with violent disorder.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
