Palestine Action defendants found guilty of criminal damage charges in arms factory raid
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Katherine Hearst
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Tue, 05/05/2026 - 15:00
Four defendants found guilty of criminal damage charges, while two are acquitted
A video posted on X shows activists breaking equipment inside the Elbit Systems factory in Filton, southwest England, in August 2024 (Screengrab)
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A UK court has found four Palestine Action activists guilty of criminal damage charges following a break-in at an Israeli-owned arms factory.
On Monday, after over 14 hours of deliberations, Leona Kamio, 30, Samuel Corner, 23, Fatema Rajwani, 21, and Charlotte Head, 29, were found unanimously guilty by jurors at Woolwich Crown Court on charges of criminal damage in connection with a raid on an Elbit Systems plant near Bristol on 6 August 2024.
Corner was acquitted of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent for striking a police officer with a sledgehammer, but found guilty by a majority of 11 to one of the lower offence of inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent.
Two other activists, Jordan Devlin, 31, and Zoe Rogers, 22, were acquitted of charges of criminal damage.
Days before the jury retired, the defendants dismissed their defence lawyers and delivered their own closing speeches, saying that their lawyers were no longer able to represent them due to a "decision made by the court".
Initially, the jury had been directed by Mr Justice Johnson to deliver a unanimous verdict. But on Tuesday, he told jurors he would consider majority verdicts on the different counts.
As the verdicts were read out, the defendants held hands in the dock, while supporters looked on and wept.
Destroying weapons
The court previously heard that the defendants broke into the factory by smashing a prison van into its security shutters.
Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC told jurors that, once on the factory floor, the activists "set about destroying as much property as they could," using crowbars and hammers to "damage computers, equipment, drones and other products Elbit manufactured".
Jurors were shown photographs of weapons and military equipment damaged in the raid, including what the defendants identified as battle simulators and quadcopter drones.
'The prosecution knows full well that we are right that this factory is supplying weapons to Israel to be used in Gaza'
- Zoe Rogers, Palestine Action defendant
When Charlotte Head was asked by chief defence counsel Rajiv Menon KC if she had damaged property in the factory that belonged to someone else, she responded “yes”, but added that she and her co-defendants “believed we had the lawful excuse to do so”.
In their closing speeches, the defendants said that they entered the factory with the intention of destroying weapons, equipment and technology needed to make weapons.
Head told jurors that she pleaded not guilty to damaging property because “they were weapons”, and that she believed she “was legally justified in doing what I did”.
In her closing speech, Rogers cited evidence heard by the court relating to the “factories on British soil” manufacturing weapons for Israel, and research and development carried out by the UK that was “vital” for the Israeli military.
“The prosecution knows full well that we are right that this factory is supplying weapons to Israel to be used in Gaza," she said.
Bursting into tears, she said: “There’s one thing you can be sure of, I’m proud, so proud I took part in this.”
The verdicts follow a previous trial, in which the first jury acquitted all defendants of charges of aggravated burglary, which can carry a life sentence. Jurors also cleared Rajwani, Rogers and Devlin of violent disorder, and did not return a verdict for the other three defendants.
The Crown Prosecution Service subsequently dropped violent disorder charges against Head, Corner and Kamio.
Palestine Action
London
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