Palestine Action activist claimed ‘this place won’t exist tomorrow’, court told

A Palestine Action activist told a security guard “this place is not going to exist tomorrow” during a raid at the UK site of an Israel-based defence firm, a jury has heard.

Charlotte Head, 29, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, Fatema Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31, are all charged with criminal damage after the incident at the Elbit Systems site near Bristol on A6 ugust, 2024.

Corner faces a further count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Police Sergeant Kate Evans.

At Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday, a jury was played footage of clashes between the defendants and three security guards – Nigel Shaw, Patrick Luke and Angelo Volante.

Footage from a body-worn camera strapped to the chest of Mr Volante, who initially could be seen carrying a whip in one hand and a radio in the other, appeared to show him wrestling a sledgehammer out of Rogers’s hands.

During the confrontation, Devlin, who wore a keffiyeh tied around his waist in the footage, could be heard shouting “it’s not worth your job”, “you’re not going to have a job tomorrow, so don’t try to protect it”, and “this place is not going to exist tomorrow”.

In footage appearing to show a confrontation between Mr Shaw, Kamio, Head and Corner elsewhere in the warehouse, the activists, armed with sledgehammers and a flare, could be heard shouting “get the f*** out”.

Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC told the jury Mr Shaw, who could be seen pointing an umbrella at the defendants, told them “I feel a little bit concussed”, to which Kamio replied: “You’re literally bleeding.”

Corner could be heard adding: “You’ve only got a f****** umbrella.”

Footage played to the jury recorded on Mr Luke’s body-worn device appeared to show him telling the defendants they were “going to be doing criminal damage”.

Kamio could be heard responding: “We’re f****** doing that.”

Ms Heer told the court footage showed Kamio using her sledgehammer to “smash up items” inside the warehouse before she picked up a fire extinguisher.

As Mr Luke backed away from the activists, Ms Heer said he told them “police are on their way”.

In further footage shown to the jury, a police officer, Pc Adams, could be seen tasering Kamio before arresting and attempting to handcuff her as she cried out that he was hurting her.

As Sergeant Kate Evans assisted Pc Adams, Corner swung a sledgehammer towards her and struck her, Ms Heer told jurors.

She said: “We can see that Mr Corner has brought the sledgehammer down to the lumbar region in her back.”

Corner then lifted the sledgehammer and brought it down towards Sgt Evans again, Ms Heer said.

In the footage, Sgt Evans appeared to be struggling to stand up.

The defendants deny all charges and the trial continues.