Police officer ‘fractured vertebrae’ in sledgehammer attack by alleged Palestine Action member
Trial hears how female officer 'screamed in pain' after being attacked from behind by a male assailant during an August 2024 break-in
A female police officer struck by an assailant wielding a sledgehammer during an alleged Palestine Action break in last year “screamed in pain” and suffered a fractured back as a result of the attack, a court has heard as part of a trial into the conduct of six alleged members of the group, which has since been proscribed as a terrorist organisation.
In August 2024, an organised attempt was made to illegally force entry into a factory near Bristol owned by Elbit Systems, an Israeli defence firm. Six individuals: Charlotte Head, 29, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, Fatema Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31, are jointly accused of aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder, with Corner additionally accused of causing grievous bodily harm. The accused deny all the charges.
The prosecutor, Deanna Heer KC, told the jury that the group was armed with sledgehammers, whips and fireworks, as reported by the BBC. Ms Heer said that the sledgehammers were intended to cause damage, but that the members of the “team”, dressed in red, were also prepared to use them as weapons.
A security guard, Angelo Volante, was threatened with a sledgehammer, and described how he had been whipped by another of the six accused, and threatened with a saw by a third. He retreated, subsequently returning accompanied by police officers.
Video footage of the incident is believed to show Corner striking Sgt Evans in the back, before hitting her a second time. Heer told the jury that “Fortunately, Sgt Evans was wearing a stab vest which may have absorbed the force of the impacts. Nevertheless she screamed in pain as she felt the force of the blows.
“She was immediately terrified that her spine had been damaged and when she tried, she was unable to get up.”
Sgt Evans suffered a fractured vertebrae and was unable to work for three months. Due to the ongoing impact of the injury, she has been confined to restricted duties.
Mr Justice Johnson told the members of the jury that the allegations being considered in court took place before Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation, which took place in July 2025. He said the ban was not for them to consider and was not relevant to the evidence they were going to hear.
The trial is set to continue until early next year.
In July, during a Parliamentary debate on the proposed proscription of Palestine action alongside two other groups, MPs including Zarah Sultana and Kim Johnson described Palestine Action as “non-violent”, despite the Security Minister, Dan Jarvis, having previously told those present that “the group’s own materials state that it is not non-violent, and that is echoed in the actions of its members, who have committed atrocious attacks.”
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