Palestine Action activists ‘had sledgehammers solely for destroying property’

Palestine Action activists alleged to have used sledgehammers as weapons during a break-in at an Israel-based defence firm’s UK site say the tools were “solely for destroying property”, a court has heard.

Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio, Fatema Rajwani, Zoe Rogers and Jordan Devlin are accused of being involved in a “meticulously organised” demonstration at an Elbit Systems factory in Bristol in the early hours of August 6 2024.

All six defendants are on trial at Woolwich Crown Court charged with aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder in relation to the alleged break-in.

Delivering his first summing up on Tuesday before barristers’ closing speeches, trial judge Mr Justice Johnson reminded jurors that it is not disputed that the defendants entered Elbit’s building without permission and carried sledgehammers.

However, they dispute that the sledgehammers were “weapons of offence”.

Mr Justice Johnson told jurors: “They deny that at the point they entered Elbit’s premises they intended to injure or incapacitate anyone. They say that the sledgehammers were solely for destroying property and were not in any circumstances intended to injure security staff.”

Prosecutors say the six, wearing red jumpsuits, attempted to “cause as much damage as possible and obtain information about the company”.

Head previously told jurors that before the break-in, the six of them agreed that they did not want to use violence. “Charlotte Head said she was in shock (after being arrested),” Mr Justice Johnson said. She said it was “the craziest 20 minutes of her life”, the judge told the court.

Corner denies a further charge of causing police sergeant Kate Evans grievous bodily harm.

“There is no dispute that Mr Corner struck Sergeant Evans with a sledgehammer,” Mr Justice Johnson told jurors.

The officer previously told the trial she thought her spine was “shattered” when she was hit to her lower back while she was on her knees arresting a female activist.

“Mr Corner says he was acting in defence of another so that he is not guilty of this charge,” Mr Justice Johnson told jurors. “But he also does not accept that he caused Sergeant Evans really serious harm. And he does not accept that he intended to cause her really serious harm.”

Jurors were also told to “keep cool heads” and not allow their feelings about the events in the Middle East to influence them when considering their verdicts.

“Your decision should be a decision in which bias, emotion, sympathy, prejudice, political views and matters of that sort play no part,” the judge said.

Head, 29; Kamio, 30; Rajwani, 21; Rogers, 22; Devlin, 31; and Corner, 23, deny the charges against them.

The trial continues.