Police officer unable to dress after Palestine Action hammer attack

A police sergeant was left unable to drive, shower or dress after a Palestine Action activist allegedly hit him with a sledgehammer during a break-in at an Israeli defense firm’s UK facility, a hearing heard.

Six men are accused of using a prison van to enter the Elbit Systems UK factory near Bristol, armed with weapons and pyrotechnics, in the early hours of August 6 last year.

Sergeant Kate Evans told Woolwich Crown Court the injury caused her “severe pain”. He took leave from work for three months.

Charlotte Head, 29, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, Fatema Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31, deny charges of aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder.

Mr Corner denies the charge of causing grievous bodily harm to Sergeant Kate Evans.

Sergeant Evans said he felt a “thump” in his back as he tried to handcuff one of the female defendants at the scene.

“My whole body went into shock. I had no idea what it was until I turned around and saw a man behind me carrying a sledgehammer,” he said.

“I was shocked, I felt frozen. It was like I was in a movie, everything was going so fast.

“It extended from my entire body 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.”

Sergeant Evans said he only remembered one blow, but his colleague Peter Adams said he saw Mr Corner strike him twice on the back.

PC Adams told the court: “I remember him screaming in pain and falling flat on his back.”

PC Aaron Buxton was also at the scene and recalled the “blonde male” swinging a sledgehammer at Miss Evans moments earlier.

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.”

The court heard Sergeant Evans had a large bruise on his back and an x-ray showed he had a fracture in his lumbar spine and would not be able to return to work for three months.

The statement said he was experiencing “severe pain” in his back and legs, needed help with basic tasks such as getting into the shower or getting into bed, and was unable to drive or sleep.

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.

The trial is expected to last until January.