Full Breakdown
Four Pro-Palestinian Activists Convicted Over 2024 Elbit Systems Factory Raid
5/5/2026, 8:53:43 PM
Convictions Over Elbit Systems Factory Raid
In August 2024, four members of the activist network Palestine Action broke into an Elbit Systems manufacturing site near Bristol, using a decommissioned prison van to breach security shutters. A Woolwich Crown Court jury found Charlotte Head (30), Samuel Corner (23), Leona Kamio (30) and Fatema Rajwani (21) guilty of criminal damage. Zoe Rogers (22) and Jordan Devlin (31) were acquitted of the same charge. Corner was additionally convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm after striking Sgt Kate Evans twice with a sledgehammer, fracturing her spine.
Background: Gaza Conflict and Palestine Action
The raid occurred roughly ten months after Israel began a large-scale bombardment of Gaza following the October 2023 Hamas attack. Palestine Action, later proscribed under UK terrorism legislation, said its aim was to destroy combat drones and other equipment it believed would be used by the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza. No evidence was presented in court regarding the specific products manufactured at the Bristol facility.
Defendants and Verdicts
- Charlotte Head (30) – guilty of criminal damage.
- Samuel Corner (23) – guilty of criminal damage and of inflicting grievous bodily harm.
- Leona Kamio (30) – guilty of criminal damage.
- Fatema Rajwani (21) – guilty of criminal damage.
- Zoe Rogers (22) – acquitted of criminal damage.
- Jordan Devlin (31) – acquitted of criminal damage.
All six denied the charges; the four convictions were delivered after a retrial prompted by an earlier hung jury.
Extent of Damage and Injuries
Prosecutors estimated the raid caused approximately £1 million (?$1.36 million) in property damage, including destroyed computers, equipment, drones and other products. Sgt Kate Evans suffered a fractured spine after being struck with a sledgehammer; Corner was cleared of the more serious offence of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Official Statements & Responses
The Crown Court highlighted the substantial financial loss and the serious injury to a police officer in its sentencing remarks. Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC described the activists’ actions as a deliberate effort to cause maximal damage until they were stopped. The UK government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action under terrorism law was later ruled unlawful by the High Court, though the ban remains in place pending a government appeal.
Criticism & Opposition
Legal authorities emphasized that the activists’ methods endangered public safety and resulted in significant property loss. The High Court’s ruling questioned the legality of the proscription, providing a judicial check on the government’s counter-terrorism measures. Supporters in the public gallery expressed emotion, with tears observed as verdicts were read.
On-the-Ground Details
Body-worn video captured the moment Sgt Evans was hit. Activists wore red jumpsuits, entered the site armed with crowbars and hammers, and filmed the breach, uploading footage to social media. Witnesses noted the use of a decommissioned prison van to ram the warehouse shutters.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The trial revealed no evidence confirming that the Bristol plant produced combat drones, despite the activists’ stated intent. While prosecutors asserted the £1 million damage figure, the exact inventory of destroyed items remains unspecified. The legality of the proscription remains contested, with the High Court’s decision contrasting the government’s stance.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Inside the warehouse, they set about destroying as much property as they could.” — Deanna Heer KC, Prosecutor
- “They used crowbars and hammers to damage computers, equipment, drones and other products Elbit had manufactured," she said.” — Deanna Heer KC, Prosecutor
- “Their role was to cause as much damage as possible until they were forcibly stopped.” — Deanna Heer KC, Prosecutor
- “So I will never be ashamed that I was on trial, that I have spent 18 months in prison, that I may face many more.” — Zoe Rogers, Activist
- “would never want to seriously hurt anyone” — Samuel Corner, Defendant
What’s Next
The government’s appeal against the High Court’s ruling on the proscription of Palestine Action is pending, leaving the group banned for the time being. Corner and the three other convicted activists face sentencing, and further legal scrutiny of the raid’s motives and impacts is expected.
