Palestine Action Activists Cleared of Aggravated Burglary in Elbit Systems Break-In
In a significant legal development, six members of the pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action have been cleared of committing aggravated burglary during a dramatic break-in at the UK premises of an Israel-based defence contractor. The activists faced trial at Woolwich Crown Court over allegations stemming from their direct action at Elbit Systems' factory in Bristol.
The Charges and Acquittals
The defendants—Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio, Fatema Rajwani, Zoe Rogers, and Jordan Devlin—were all acquitted of the most serious charge of aggravated burglary. Jurors additionally found Ms Rajwani, Ms Rogers, and Mr Devlin not guilty of violent disorder. The jury deliberated for an extensive period of thirty-six hours and thirty-four minutes before reaching these verdicts.
However, the panel could not reach unanimous decisions on several other counts. No verdicts were returned regarding criminal damage charges against all six defendants. Similarly, the jury failed to reach a conclusion on allegations that Samuel Corner inflicted grievous bodily harm on Police Sergeant Kate Evans, or on violent disorder charges against Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, and Leona Kamio.
The Early Morning Action
The court heard detailed accounts of the events that unfolded in the early hours of August 6, 2024. Charlotte Head, described as a charity worker, drove a prison van into the site's perimeter fence before using the vehicle "as a battering ram" to gain entry to the factory. Footage presented to jurors showed all six activists wearing distinctive red jumpsuits during what Ms Head later called "the craziest 20 minutes of my life."
Prosecutors alleged the group attempted to "cause as much damage as possible and obtain information about the company." Body-worn camera footage from security guards showed three defendants approaching a guard while shouting expletives, with one holding a lighted flare and two others brandishing sledgehammers.
Defence Arguments and Motivations
All defendants except Jordan Devlin gave evidence during the trial. They admitted entering the factory without permission and damaging Elbit's equipment, including computers and drones. However, they maintained that the sledgehammers were "solely for destroying property" and were "not in any circumstances intended to injure security staff."
Defence barrister Rajiv Menon KC argued that the activists had not expected security guards to enter the factory during their action, describing them as "completely out of their depth." The court heard that the defendants "genuinely believed" their demonstration at the factory would help the Palestinian cause in Gaza.
Attempted Jury Influence
A controversial aspect emerged during the trial when the court became aware of posters appearing on bus stops and lampposts near the courthouse. These displayed messages including: "The jury decide not the judge," "Jury equity is when a jury acquits someone on moral grounds," and: "Jurors can give a not guilty verdict even when they believe a defendant has broken the law."
Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC informed the judge that police had been removing the posters, but they kept reappearing. One juror emailed the court to flag that they had seen the displays, noting it seemed someone was "trying to influence the jury and their decisions." The prosecution acknowledged awareness of these attempts to promote the principle of "jury equity"—the capacity of a jury to return a verdict according to conscience.
Courtroom Reactions
Following the delivery of the not guilty verdicts, the six activists hugged each other in the dock while approximately a dozen of their supporters cheered from the public gallery above. The mixed outcome—with acquittals on the most serious charges but no verdicts on others—marks a complex conclusion to a high-profile case that has drawn attention to both direct action protest tactics and the UK operations of international defence contractors.
