Palestine Action activist hit police officer with sledgehammer, jury told
A Palestine Action activist struck a police sergeant after swinging a sledgehammer at another officer at the UK facility of an Israel-based defense firm, a hearing heard.
Six activists are accused of carrying out an attack on Elbit Systems in Bristol.
They are alleged to have broken into the factory in a prison van in the early hours of August 6 last year, using sledgehammers as weapons and wearing red overalls.
Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio, Fatema Rajwani, Zoe Rogers and Jordan Devlin are charged with aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder in connection with the alleged break-in.
Corner denies the charge of causing grievous bodily harm to police sergeant Kate Evans.
Ps Evans told Woolwich Crown Court on Monday he thought his spine had been “shattered” when he was hit in the lower back while he was on his knees arresting a female activist.
Giving evidence, Ps Evans told the jury: “I remember struggling with the handcuffs. “The catch caught on the clothing over his red overalls.
“Then I remember looking at my colleague; he had a shocked expression on his face and I remembered the pain in my back.
“It was just a huge shock that vibrated through my whole body, a blow to my back. It spread throughout my body, all the way down to my legs. I felt frozen.”
“I was stunned at first. I didn’t know what was happening. I remember looking around and seeing the man with the sledgehammer behind me.”
He added: “I remember a million thoughts going through my head. Looking back, it was like I was in a movie and everything was happening so fast around me.”
“At this point my head thinks my spine is shattered.”
Ps Evans told the hearing he only remembered one blow, but his colleague police officer Peter Adams said he saw Corner strike him twice on the back.
Pc Adams told the court: “I remember him screaming in pain and falling flat on his back.”
The court heard Ps Evans had a large bruise on his back and an x-ray showed he had a fracture to his lumbar spine and would not be able to return to work for three months.
Pc Aaron Buxton also attended and recalled the “blonde male” striking Ms Evans, before swinging a sledgehammer at her as he tackled another activist to the ground.
He told the jury: “I was placed on my back with the brown-haired male on top of me. The blonde-haired male turned and walked towards us. He swung his sledgehammer at me repeatedly.
“I don’t know how many times he shook it because I was scared at that moment. I think it touched my right calf and my work radio.
“I felt severe pain in that area of my leg. There was also some slight bruising.”
All six defendants were arrested at the factory.
The court heard that Elbit Systems UK manufactures defense technology equipment and is a UK-registered company whose parent company is based in Israel.
Head, 29; Kamio, 30; Rajwani, 21; Rogers, 22; Devlin, 31; and Corner, 23, deny the charges against them.
The trial continues.
