Pro-Palestine activists guilty after damaging factory owned by Israeli defence firm
Three protesters convicted after roof-top protest and vandalism at Newcastle factory owned by Israeli defence company Rafael
Three pro-Palestine activists have been found guilty of criminal damage after targeting a Newcastle factory owned by an Israeli defence company during a protest last year.
A jury at Newcastle Crown Court convicted Hollie Mildenhall, 25, Georgia Coote, 28, and Summer Oxlade, 29, over an incident at Pearson Engineering in February 2025.
The trio damaged property at the Scotswood Road site, spraying red paint, smashing parts of a company sign and dumping rubble at the entrance during an early-morning protest.
Prosecutors said the activists were motivated by opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza, but had acted unlawfully.
The court heard that at about 5.20am on 18 February 2025, Mildenhall and Coote climbed onto the roof of the factory’s gatehouse while Oxlade drove a flatbed truck and tipped rubble in front of the entrance.
While on the roof, the pair sprayed red paint from fire extinguishers, cut through razor wire and smashed two illuminated panels of the firm’s large sign.
Oxlade also attempted to chain herself to the truck after unloading the rubble.
Jurors heard the protest halted production at the site for a day and caused around £6,800 worth of damage.
Pearson Engineering is owned by Israeli defence company Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, although a company representative told the court that no equipment manufactured at the Tyneside facility had been supplied to Israel.
Judge Edward Bindloss ruled that several defences argued by the women could not be considered by the jury because they did not apply to the circumstances of the case.
In his remarks, the judge said the activists had “decided to take the law into their own hands” rather than pursue legal routes to challenge what they believed were the company’s activities.
He noted the company had stated it “did not export” equipment to Israel and held no licences to do so, telling the court that the factory produces defensive military technology such as mine-detection vehicles for the UK and allied countries.
During the trial, the defendants told jurors they believed the factory was “complicit” in a “genocide” and was producing equipment that would be used by Israel to commit “war crimes”.
Jurors took two hours and 15 minutes to return unanimous guilty verdicts.
Mildenhall and Coote, both from Newcastle, and Oxlade, from Houghton-le-Spring, were released on bail and will be sentenced on 29 April.
As they left the court, one of the women shouted “Free Palestine”.
In a statement outside court following the verdict, one of the activists said: “Today we’ve been found guilty of a so-called crime of criminal damage.”
She added: “This decision comes from a jury of our peers, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the King himself. We must move forward, keep organising ourselves towards the liberation of all.”
She continued: “In the tradition of the Palestinian resistance, we must move forward no matter what the enemy puts in our way. It is better to live on our feet than to die on our knees.”
She concluded: “We are lucky. We may have this verdict, but we still have the air in our lungs. We must remember the martyrs and act in their memory.”
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.
