Four activists from the Palestine Action group have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms after a judge ruled their actions at an Israeli arms factory in Gloucestershire had a 'terrorist connection'. The sentences were handed down at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday.
Charlotte Head, 30, and Leona Kamio, 30, each received five years, Fatema Rajwani, 21, was sentenced to four years and eight months, and Samuel Corner, 23, was jailed for seven years and eight months for criminal damage and grievous bodily harm. All four will serve at least two-thirds of their sentences and face 15 years of terrorist notification requirements.
The court heard that the break-in at the Elbit Systems UK site in 2024 caused £1.2 million in damage, including to 41 military assets such as drones. Mr Justice Johnson described the attack as 'carefully planned and highly sophisticated', designed to intimidate the government and the public. He noted that Corner used 'extreme and gratuitous force' against a police officer.
Defence lawyers argued that the terrorist connection finding was unprecedented for a non-violent offence and could set a dangerous precedent. Rajiv Menon KC, representing Head, called it 'chilling, creeping authoritarianism'. Tom Wainwright KC, for Corner, said the ruling could label historical activists like the suffragettes as terrorists.
Approximately 500 protesters gathered outside the court, with some holding placards reading 'Saving lives is not terrorism'. More than 100 people were arrested for allegedly supporting Palestine Action, which remains a proscribed group.
