Six Palestine Action activists to face retrial over break-in at Israeli defence firm
Six Palestine Action activists will face a retrial on criminal damage charges over a break-in at the UK base of an Israel-based defence firm, the CPS has announced.
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This comes just days after a judge ruled the Home Office's decision to declare Palestine Action a terrorist group was unlawful.
The six activists were cleared of aggravated burglary at the UK base of the Israeli weapons firm Elbit Systems after a jury was unable to reach a verdict on criminal damage charges.
The members of the group were accused of using a prison van as a "battering ram" to get inside the Elbit Systems UK factory in Bristol in the early hours of August 6, 2024.
Read more: Palestine Action activists cleared over break-in at Israeli-linked UK defence firm
Prosecutors said the activists wore red boiler suits as they carried out a "meticulously organised" attack, which saw them allegedly break computer equipment and boxes of technical products using crowbars and hammers.
They were also accused of spraying red paint from fire extinguishers and smashing up the disabled toilet.
But just two weeks ago, Samuel Corner, 23, Charlotte Head, 29, Leona Kamio, 30, Fatema Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31, were found not guilty of aggravated burglary after a jury at Woolwich Crown Court failed to reach a verdict.
All six defendants had denied charges of criminal damage and violent disorder.
At Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday, prosecutor Deanna Heer KC said a retrial would be pursued on all the charges which had not ended in verdicts.
She told Mr Justice Johnson: “As we indicated at the end of the trial, we now confirm the prosecution intention to seek a retrial in respect of all those allegations which no verdict was returned by the jury.
“That is criminal damage against all defendants, the three defendants on the allegation of violent disorder, and with Mr Corner on the allegation of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.”
Ms Heer also told the court that aggravated burglary charges against 18 further defendants who are accused of involvement in the Elbit raid are also now being dropped.
“The prosecution has reconsidered the sufficiency of the evidence,” she said, “and for all the defendants the prosecution offers no evidence on the count of aggravated burglary.”
After the trial had ended, all the defendants apart from Corner were set free on conditional bail, having spent around 18 months in custody.
The criminal proceedings relate to a 3.30am raid on the Elbit site where Head, a charity worker, is said to have driven a prison van into the perimeter fence and then used the vehicle to get into the factory.
Corner is accused of causing serious injury to Police Sergeant Kate Evans with a sledgehammer.
The six defendants denied all the charges brought against them.
Wednesday’s court hearing took place amid tight security, with at least two dozen police officers positioned around the court building and a heavy presence of court security guards.
At least 70,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October 2023, the vast majority women and children.
In January 2024, the International Court of Justice ruled it plausible that Israel was committing genocide against the people of Gaza.
On 21 November 2024, following an investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, and Yoav Gallant.