Four Palestine Action activists guilty over break-in at Israel-linked defence firm

Four Palestine Action activists have been found guilty of criminal damage over a break-in at an Israeli-linked defence firm's UK site after a retrial.

Samuel Corner, 23, was also found guilty by a majority of 11-1 of inflicting grievous bodily harm, but cleared of the more serious charge of grievous bodily harm with intent after hitting a police officer in the back with a seven-pound sledgehammer.

Prosecutors said the group used a prison van as a "battering ram" to get inside the Elbit Systems UK factory in Bristol in the early hours of 6 August 2024.

Wearing red boiler suits and armed with sledgehammers, they sprayed red paint from fire extinguishers and used crowbars and hammers to break computers, drones and other equipment - causing an alleged estimated £1 million of damage.

Amid scuffles with security guards and police officers, Sergeant Kate Evans was left with a fractured spine after being hit by Corner - who claimed he had been trying to protect another activist who he heard screaming.

Corner, Charlotte Head, 30, Leona Kamio, 30, Fatema Rajwani, 21, were found guilty of criminal damage, while Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31, were acquitted of the offence.

They held hands in the dock as the verdicts were delivered and Head burst into tears as she was found guilty.

The four convicted were remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on 12 June.

All six were acquitted of the more serious charge of aggravated burglary in February.

Rajwani, Rogers and Devlin were found not guilty of violent disorder, but the jury couldn't agree on verdicts for the other three and the charge was dropped ahead of the retrial.

The judge Mr Justice Johnson told jurors to ignore the ongoing legal battle over the government's ban of Palestine Action as a terrorist group, which came in almost a year after the incident.

He also asked them, "to put any views they may have about the Israel-Hamas war to one side" and said that whether they "thought they had some moral justification is completely beside the point".

All of the defendants but Corner gave up their legal representation and elected to represent themselves before delivering their own closing speeches.

Rogers said the raid was "the best thing I've ever done" and said she thought there was a "good chance" that "innocent lives were saved".

Devlin said "I decided to represent myself so I can tell you my truth", inviting jurors to find them not guilty, telling them they do not need to "explain" their verdicts to anyone.

Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC said although "it's obvious that they care passionately about the plight of the Palestinian people" and "consider that their actions were morally justified" it "does not mean that they had a lawful excuse to do what they did".

"Although they admit what they have done, none of them is willing to admit responsibility for their actions," she said.

"They are entitled to do that, but what they are not entitled to do is to ask you to disregard the law."

All six of the defendants denied criminal damage, while Corner denied an additional charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

(c) Sky News 2026: Four Palestine Action activists guilty over break-in at Israel-linked defence firm