Full Breakdown
Four Pro-Palestinian Activists Convicted Over 2024 Elbit Factory Raid
5/6/2026, 3:12:53 AM
Event Overview
On 5 May 2026 Woolwich Crown Court found four members of the banned group Palestine Action—Charlotte Head (30), Samuel Corner (23), Leona Kamio (30) and Fatema Zainab Rajwani (21)—guilty of criminal damage for a 6 August 2024 raid on Elbit Systems’ UK research-and-development facility in Filton, near Bristol. The jury also convicted Corner of inflicting grievous bodily harm after he struck Sergeant Kate Evans with a 7-lb sledgehammer, fracturing her spine. Zoe Rogers (22) and Jordan Devlin (31) were acquitted of the same charge.
Background & Context
The raid took place roughly ten months after Israel began its military campaign in Gaza following the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack. Palestine Action, which had previously infiltrated a southern England air-force base, was proscribed under UK terrorism legislation in July 2025. A London High Court later ruled that proscription unlawful, but the ban remains in force pending a government appeal.
Key Participants
- Activists: Head, Corner, Kamio, Rajwani, Rogers, Devlin – self-identified as pro-Palestinian.
- Elbit Systems: Israeli defence contractor with ~20,000 staff and $2 bn annual revenue.
- Sergeant Kate Evans: Avon and Somerset Police officer injured during the confrontation.
- Tom Gent: Chair of the Avon and Somerset Police Federation.
- Deanna Heer KC: Lead prosecutor for the Crown.
- Mr Justice Johnson: Presiding judge who ordered remand.
Timeline of Legal Proceedings
- 6 Aug 2024 – Raid on Elbit facility.
- July 2025 – Palestine Action proscribed.
- Early 2026 – First trial ends with acquittals on aggravated burglary; jury deadlocked on criminal damage.
- 5 May 2026 – Retrial verdict: four guilty, two acquitted; Corner also convicted of GBH.
- 12 Jun 2026 – Scheduled sentencing.
Damage and Injuries
Prosecutors estimated £1 million (? $1.36 m) in property loss, including destroyed drones, computers and other equipment. Sgt Evans suffered a fractured spine, was off work for three months and remained on restricted duties 20 months later.
Official Statements & Responses
The Crown Prosecution Service, via Heer, said the defendants “used crowbars and hammers to damage computers, equipment, drones and other products” with the intent “to cause as much damage as possible until they were forcibly stopped.” Mr Justice Johnson ordered the four convicted to be remanded in custody pending sentencing. Police Federation chair Tom Gent called the verdict “a significant step toward justice” while noting the lasting harm to Evans.
Criticism & Opposition
Police officials argued that “no officer should go to work…and return home with a fractured spine,” emphasizing officer safety. Legal commentators have highlighted the tension between the government’s continued ban on Palestine Action and the High Court’s finding that the proscription was unlawful, raising questions about the balance between counter-terrorism policy and protest rights.
On-the-Ground Account
Witnesses described activists in red jumpsuits crashing a decommissioned prison van into security shutters, then wielding sledgehammers and crowbars to smash drones and spray red paint on walls. Sgt Evans was struck while on all fours attempting to arrest Rogers.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the legal status of the ban: the High Court deemed the proscription unlawful, yet the government maintains it pending appeal. No evidence was presented regarding the specific military applications of the destroyed equipment, leaving the raid’s strategic impact on Elbit unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “would never want to seriously hurt anyone” — Samuel Corner, defendant
- “Rogers, in her closing speech, told the jury: “I am proud that I overcame my fear and took action, because of course I was scared, you don’t just break into an Israeli weapons factory for fun.” — Zoe Rogers, defendant
- “There is a good chance that because of our actions that night, innocent lives were saved.” — Zoe Rogers, defendant
- “It is a travesty of justice that my co-defendants aren’t here with me, as the damage to Elbit weapons they’re accused of was to save Palestinian lives.” — Jordan Devlin, defendant
- “Tom Gent, chair of Avon and Somerset Police Federation, said: “Today’s guilty verdict is a significant step toward justice, but it does not undo the life-altering trauma inflicted upon Kate.” — Tom Gent, police federation chair
- “The defendants already defeated the most serious charges” — Defence team statement
Future Developments
The four convicted activists await sentencing on 12 June 2026, where custodial terms will be set. The government’s appeal on the Palestine Action proscription remains pending, and the case is expected to shape future legal treatment of protest actions linked to the Israel-Gaza conflict.
