In a significant legal development, prosecutors have dropped aggravated burglary charges against 18 defendants linked to a Palestine Action break-in at an Israeli defence firm's UK site. This decision follows a jury's acquittal of six other activists for the same offence, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The case centers on a raid that occurred on 6 August 2024 at the Elbit Systems factory in Filton, near Bristol.
Acquittals and Retrial Plans
The six individuals cleared of aggravated burglary are Charlotte Head, 29, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, Fatema Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31. At a case management hearing at Woolwich Crown Court in south London, Deanna Heer KC announced the prosecution's reconsideration of evidence, stating, "The prosecution has reconsidered the sufficiency of the evidence... In light of those verdicts and in respect of all the remaining defendants the prosecution offers no evidence on count one, aggravated burglary."
However, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed it will seek a retrial for these six activists on charges where the jury failed to reach verdicts after more than 36 hours of deliberations. Heer informed 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."
Specific Charges and Bail Status
The retrial will address criminal damage charges against all defendants, violent disorder allegations against three, and a grievous bodily harm with intent charge against Samuel Corner. Jurors had previously acquitted Rajwani, Rogers, and Devlin of violent disorder but could not reach a verdict on this charge for Head, Corner, and Kamio. None of the six were convicted of any offence, and all except Corner were released on conditional bail after spending approximately 18 months in custody.
The 18 additional defendants charged in connection with the Elbit raid continue to face criminal damage charges, with some also accused of violent disorder. Most are held in prison awaiting trial, except for Sean Middlebrough, who absconded while on conditional release from Wandsworth prison in October last year. Bail applications for 13 of these defendants were scheduled for hearings, with some due on Wednesday and others on Friday.
Legal Context and Security Measures
Aggravated burglary is defined as committing a burglary while possessing a weapon intended to cause injury or incapacitate. In this case, the first six defendants were found carrying sledgehammers, but their lawyers argued these tools were meant for property destruction at the Elbit site, not for harming individuals.
The court hearing on Wednesday was conducted under tight security, with at least two dozen police officers stationed around the Woolwich Crown Court building and a significant presence of court security guards. Members of the public attempting to observe the proceedings were initially detained outside the court gates by security personnel, highlighting the high-profile nature of the case.
This legal saga underscores ongoing tensions surrounding activism and corporate accountability, with implications for future protests and judicial responses in the UK.
