Six activists from Palestine Action have been acquitted of aggravated burglary following a break-in at an Israeli defence firm's site near Bristol. The trial at Woolwich Crown Court concluded on Wednesday with no convictions for any of the defendants, who had faced charges including violent disorder and criminal damage.
The incident occurred on 6 August 2024, when a prison van was driven into the Elbit Systems factory in Filton. The activists, Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio, Fatema Rajwani, Zoe Rogers and Jordan Devlin, were accused of using sledgehammers as weapons and threatening unlawful violence. However, the jury acquitted all six of aggravated burglary, which carries a maximum life sentence, and found Rajwani, Rogers and Devlin not guilty of violent disorder.
After 36 hours and 34 minutes of deliberation, the jury could not reach verdicts on criminal damage charges against any of the defendants, despite most admitting they had entered the factory without permission and damaged equipment including computers and drones. No verdict was reached on the charge of grievous bodily harm against Corner for allegedly injuring a police sergeant, nor on violent disorder charges against Head, Corner and Kamio.
During the trial, the prosecution argued that the activists used sledgehammers as weapons against security guards, while the defence claimed any violence was unplanned and that the security team used excessive force. Defence lawyer Rajiv Menon KC compared Head to the suffragettes and described Elbit Systems as a 'dreadful company' involved in the killing of Palestinians. The judge had instructed jurors to disregard their views on the Middle East conflict.
Following the verdicts, Zoe Rogers' mother, Clare, criticised the government's support for Israel's weapons industry. A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries called the outcome a 'huge blow' to ministers who had banned Palestine Action under terrorism legislation. Amnesty International said the verdict highlighted the disproportionality of the proscription.
