Palestine Action activists face retrial over break-in at Israeli-linked defence firm Elbit Systems
The CPS has announced that six Palestine Action activists will be retried on criminal damage charges for breaking into the UK base of an Israel-based defense firm.
Charlotte Head, 29, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, Fatema Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31, are charged in connection with the raid on the Elbit Systems facility near Bristol on August 6, 2024.
At the trial that concluded on February 4, all six people were found not guilty of aggravated theft.
Rajwani, Rogers and Devlin were also acquitted of violent disorder.
But the jury was unable to decide on the punitive damages charges against the six defendants, as well as the violent disorder allegations against Head, Corner and Kamio.
Jurors were also unable to reach a verdict on a charge of causing grievous bodily harm against Corner.
At Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday, prosecutor Deanna Heer KC said a retrial would proceed on all charges that did not result in a verdict.
His Honor told Johnson: “As we stated at the end of the trial, we now confirm the prosecution’s intention to seek a retrial in respect of all counts on which no decision was made by the jury.
“This is punitive damages against all the defendants, against the three defendants on the allegation of violent disorder and against Mr Corner on the allegation of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.”
Ms Heer also told the court that aggravated theft charges against 18 other defendants accused of participating in the Elbit raid had now been dropped.
“The prosecution re-evaluated the sufficiency of the evidence,” he said, “and for all defendants, the prosecution presents no evidence regarding the aggravated burglary allegation.”
The other 18 defendants continue to face other allegations related to the raid.
Following the conclusion of the hearing, all defendants except Corner were released on conditional bail after being detained for approximately 18 months.
The criminal case relates to the raid on the Elbit area at 3.30 in the morning; Here Head, a charity worker, is said to have driven the prison van into the perimeter fence and then used the vehicle to enter the factory.
Corner is accused of seriously injuring Police Sergeant Kate Evans with a sledgehammer.
The six defendants denied all the charges against them.
Wednesday’s hearing took place amid tight security, with at least two dozen police officers stationed around the court building and numerous court security guards.
Citizens who wanted to watch the hearing were initially kept outside the courthouse door by security guards.
