Palestine Action activists face retrial over break-in at UK-based Israeli defence firm

Aggravated burglary charges against 18 further defendants are also being dropped

Six Palestine Action activists will face a retrial on criminal damage charges over a break-in at the UK base of an Israeli defence firm, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has announced.

Charlotte Head, 29, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, Fatema Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31, are all accused of the raid on the Elbit Systems site near Bristol on 6 August 2024.

All six were found not guilty of aggravated burglary at a trial that concluded on 4 February.

Ms Rajwani, Ms Rogers and Mr Devlin were also acquitted of violent disorder.

However, the jury could not decide on criminal damage charges against the six defendants, as well as allegations of violent disorder against Ms Head, Mr Corner and Ms Kamio.

Jurors also failed to reach a verdict on a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm against Mr Corner.

A screengrab from footage of the Palestine Action break-in at Elbit Systems in 2024 (Palestine Action)

At Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday, prosecutor Deanna Heer KC said a retrial would be pursued on all the charges that had not ended in verdicts.

She told Mr Justice Johnson: “As we indicated at the end of the trial, we now confirm the prosecution’s intention to seek a retrial in respect of all those allegations for which no verdict was returned by the jury.

“That is criminal damage against all defendants, the three defendants on the allegation of violent disorder, and with Mr Corner on the allegation of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.”

Ms Heer also told the court that aggravated burglary charges against 18 further defendants who were accused of involvement in the Elbit raid were also now being dropped.

“The prosecution has reconsidered the sufficiency of the evidence,” she said, “and for all the defendants the prosecution offers no evidence on the count of aggravated burglary.”

Zoe Rogers, one of the six Palestine Action activists, addresses the media and supporters outside Woolwich Crown Court, London (Ben Whitley/PA)

The 18 further defendants continue to face other allegations over the raid.

After the trial had ended, all the defendants apart from Mr Corner were set free on conditional bail, having spent around 18 months in custody.

The criminal proceedings relate to a 3.30am raid on the Elbit site where Ms Head, a charity worker, is said to have driven a prison van into the perimeter fence and then used the vehicle to get into the factory.

Mr Corner is accused of causing serious injury to Police Sergeant Kate Evans with a sledgehammer.

The six defendants denied all the charges brought against them.

Wednesday’s court hearing took place amid tight security, with at least two dozen police officers positioned around the court building and a heavy presence of court security guards.

Members of the public seeking to watch the court proceedings were initially held outside the court gates by security.