Four Palestine Action activists jailed for total of more than 26 years over raid on Israeli-linked defence firm - as over 100 arrested outside court

Samuel Corner, 23, was jailed for eight years and eight months. Charlotte Head, 30, and Leona Kamio, 30, were each jailed for six years. Fatema Rajwani, 21, was jailed for five years and eight months.

Each defendant will also spend an extra year on licence once their prison terms have ended.

The raid left one police officer with a fractured spine and caused an estimated £1.2million worth of damage.

The group, travelling in an old prison van, crashed into the Elbit Systems site near Bristol during the early hours of August 6, 2024.

Palestine Action was banned as a terrorist organisation under a Government proscription order in July last year.

But the controversial move was declared unlawful by the High Court in February this year.

Around 500 protesters had gathered outside Woolwich Crown Court before the ruling in support of the defendants and Palestine Action.

More than a hundred have now been arrested outside the court, on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action.

The judge said they had “decided to take matters into your own hands” after coming to the view that the Israeli government is committing genocide in Gaza and being “disillusioned” with legal efforts to oppose it.

He said the activists had been “reckless” about who would be injured, and had been heavily involved in organising the raid with the right of veto over each part of the plan.

The judge pointed out that two of the activists had livestreamed the raid and posted the footage to social media, as part of an effort to “glorify criminality and vigilantism”.

Supporters of the defendants cheered and banged on the front of the public gallery as the sentences were passed

'Unjust'

Crowds were joined by John McDonnell, the former Labour shadow chancellor, who criticised the judge's ruling that the defendants had a "terrorist connection".

"By introducing this terrorist element retrospectively, it's completely unjust," he said.

Earlier on Friday, the judge ruled that the raid amounted to an “act of terrorism”, having been carried out to try to influence the UK Government and intimidate a section of the public.

Rajwani and Head were seen breaking down crying after the judge made his ruling.

On Friday morning, Pc Kate Evans held back tears as she read out an impact statement, revealing that she had been forced to give up her rank of sergeant after struggling in the aftermath of the attack by Corner.

The officer was helping to detain nursery school teacher Kamio at the Elbit factory when she was struck with a sledgehammer, and she is still having medical treatment nearly two years later.

“The emotional impact of this incident has been profound and ongoing,” she said.

“I experience disturbed sleep, often waking in a panicked state or after distressing dreams.”

Pc Evans also revealed that she had been the target of a hate-filled email from a troll during legal proceedings, including the suggestion she is “working for the Zionist occupation of Britain”.

• Samuel Corner, 23, was sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison, including on the count of grievous bodily harm and criminal damage. He will be eligible for parole after seven years and eight months.
• Charlotte Head, 30, and Leona Kamio, 30, were each jailed for six years less 45 days for causing criminal damage. The pair will be eligible for parole after four years and 320 days. Head was also disqualified from driving for one year because she was driving the prison van that the group used as a "battering ram" to get inside the Elbit Systems UK factory.
• Fatema Rajwani, 21, was jailed for five years and eight months less 45 days for causing criminal damage. She will be eligible for parole after four years and 200 days.