Four Palestine Action activists convicted of causing £1 million in criminal damage to an Israel-linked defence factory in Bristol could be sentenced as terrorists, it has emerged. Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio and Fatema Rajwani were found guilty over the 6 August 2024 raid on the Elbit Systems factory, during which they used sledgehammers and crowbars to smash equipment.
Corner was also convicted of grievous bodily harm after fracturing a police officer's spine during the incident. The group claimed their actions were necessary to protect Palestinians, but a pre-trial ruling by Mr Justice Johnson found the charges had a “terrorist connection”. Palestine Action was banned as a terrorist organisation in July 2025, though the ban was later declared unlawful by the High Court in February.
Despite the government's court defeat, the judge may still consider a terror link when sentencing on 12 June. The Court of Appeal is currently reviewing the government's appeal against the High Court ruling, but it is unclear if a decision will be reached before the sentencing. If a terrorist connection is applied, the activists could face longer jail terms served in full, with post-release monitoring by counterterror police.
Supporters have criticised the trial, noting that jurors were not informed of the terror link or the possibility of aggravated sentences. In pre-trial rulings, the judge also restricted the defendants from presenting documents about their reasons for targeting Elbit, including claims that the firm supplied weapons to Israel for use in Gaza. The activists were allowed to argue that the raid was part of a campaign of direct action, but the judge warned that such evidence should be limited to avoid being “misconstrued” by the jury.
During the raid, activists wore red boilersuits, filmed themselves, and used fire extinguishers to spray red paint. Two other activists, Zoe Rogers and Jordan Devlin, were acquitted of criminal damage. At an earlier trial, all six were cleared of aggravated burglary, and three were acquitted of violent disorder. The judge also accused barrister Rajiv Menon of contempt of court for his closing speech in the first trial, but the Court of Appeal ruled on Tuesday that the judge must reconsider the matter.
