‘Palestine Action activist struck officer with sledgehammer’, court hears

An alleged Palestine Action member attacked a police officer with a sledgehammer, fracturing her back, during an organised break-in at an Israeli defence firm, a court has heard.

Woolwich Crown Court was told that six people accused of breaking in to Elbit Systems near Bristol had meticulously planned the incident on 6 August 2024 to cause as much damage as possible to the factory.

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

They deny all charges and Mr Corner denies an additional allegation of causing grievous bodily harm.

Opening the trial on Tuesday, Mr Justice Johnson told jurors that the allegations they would consider predate Palestine Action’s proscription under terrorism laws this June. He added that the ban was not for them to consider and was irrelevant to the evidence in this case.

Beginning the prosecution’s case, Deanna Heer KC, said that the six defendants had been “willing participants” in a plan to cause damage to the plant, which manufacturers defence technology equipment.

Wearing red jumpsuits and carrying sledgehammers, they used a prison van, allegedly driven by Charlotte Head, to crash through security fencing, before then breaking into the factory itself, the court heard.

Ms Heer told the jury that each of the “red team” carried a sledgehammer to cause damage – but they were also prepared to use them as weapons.

“The evidence demonstrates that all of these defendants used them for that purpose, to threaten or to attack the security guards and to lend support to one another as they did so,” she said.

“When the police arrived, as the defendants knew they would, Samuel Corner attacked them, going so far as to strike a female officer, Sgt Kate Evans, across the back with his sledgehammer while she was on the floor, facing away from him.”

Ms Heer said that the red team had taken three minutes to gain access to factory, first cutting into a roller door and then smashing through it with the prison van.

“Inside the warehouse, the Red Team set about destroying as much property as they could,” said Ms Heer, adding the group was armed with sledgehammers, whips, and fireworks.

“They used fire extinguishers filled with red paint to spray the walls and floor.

“They used crowbars and hammers to damage computer equipment and boxes of technical products, which they smashed apart.

“The fabric of the building was also damaged, not only the loading bay but also the security systems and even the disabled toilet,” she added.

Footage played in the opening address was said to show Zoe Rogers brandishing and swinging a sledgehammer in front of a security guard, Angelo Volante.

He also said he had been whipped by Charlotte Head and threatened with a saw by Leona Kamio.

Eventually he retreated – but later returned with the police. As he led officers into the factory, video played to the jury on Tuesday was said to show Ms Kamio raising her sledgehammer over her head and bringing it down towards him.

She was then tasered – but continued to resist arrest. The video is then said to show Samuel Corner approaching Sgt Evans and striking her back with a sledgehammer.

“Having hit her once, he raised the sledgehammer again and hit her with it a second time,” said Ms Heer.

“Fortunately, Sgt Evans was wearing a stab vest which may have absorbed the force of the impacts. Nevertheless she screamed in pain as she felt the force of the blows.

“She was immediately terrified that her spine had been damaged and when she tried, she was unable to get up.”

Sgt Evans suffered a fractured vertebrae and was unable to work for three months. Due to the ongoing impact of the injury, she has been confined to restricted duties.

The trial is expected to last until January.