Court Hears Details of 'Meticulously Organised' Factory Attack
Six pro-Palestinian activists armed with sledgehammers carried out a coordinated attack on an Israeli-linked defence company's UK headquarters, leaving a police officer with a fractured spine, Woolwich Crown Court has heard. The defendants are facing charges including aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder following the incident at Elbit Systems' factory in Filton, near Bristol.
Violent Confrontation at Defence Facility
Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC described how the events unfolded on 6 August last year in what she called a "meticulously organised" operation by the group Palestine Action. According to the prosecution, a van driven by defendant Charlotte Head crashed through the facility's perimeter fence while carrying the other five accused, all wearing distinctive red jumpsuits.
The court heard that additional participants wearing black jumpsuits followed on foot, shouting "Free Palestine" as they entered the site. Heer told jurors that those in black threw fireworks at security guards, lit flares and cracked whips in an attempt to overwhelm the security team while the main group focused on causing maximum damage.
Police Officer Seriously Injured
The situation escalated dramatically when police arrived at the scene. Samuel Corner, one of the six defendants, allegedly struck female police officer Kate Evans twice across the back with his sledgehammer while she was on all fours attempting to apprehend another defendant, Zoe Rogers.
PC Evans screamed in pain after the first blow and subsequently suffered a fractured lumbar spine, the court was told. The injury was severe enough that she could only return to work after three months, and even then on reduced duties due to ongoing pain.
All six defendants - Charlotte Head (29), Samuel Corner (23), Leona Kamio (30), Fatema Zainab Rajwani (21), Zoe Rogers (22) and Jordan Devlin (31) - deny the charges against them. Corner faces an additional charge of causing grievous bodily harm to PC Evans.
Systematic Destruction of Property
According to the prosecution evidence, the activists were well-equipped for their mission. They used fire extinguishers filled with red paint to spray walls and floors, while employing crowbars and hammers to damage computer equipment and boxes of technical products.
Security guards who attempted to intervene were allegedly sworn at, threatened with sledgehammers, whipped, and in one case sprayed with a foam fire extinguisher. The prosecutor emphasised that the sledgehammers were carried not just as tools for damaging property but as weapons "to be used if necessary to threaten and damage people".
The jury was shown footage from both police body-worn cameras and GoPro cameras worn by the activists themselves. At one point in the recording, defendants Head and Rajwani were seen grinning at the camera and declaring: "You've been 'Pal Action'd'."
Judge Warns Jury on External Factors
Before the trial proceedings began, Mr Justice Johnson explicitly instructed jury members to set aside any personal views they might hold about the war in Gaza or the controversial banning of Palestine Action by the home secretary in July.
"You will appreciate that it is vitally important that you judge the case on the evidence, not on the basis of what you or anyone else thinks about Palestine Action or the war in Gaza," Johnson stated. He further emphasised that the proscription of Palestine Action should not be held against the defendants in any way.
The trial, which is expected to last for ten weeks, continues as the prosecution presents its case against the six activists. The outcome will determine whether the defendants' actions constituted criminal behaviour or whether they might be considered as part of legitimate protest activities.
