Violent disorder charges dropped against activists accused over Elbit raid
Six people are still charged with criminal damage after the incident at the Elbit Systems site near Bristol in August 2024
Charges of violent disorder have been dropped against Palestine Action activists who are accused over a raid at the UK site of an Israel-based defence firm, a court has heard.
Charlotte Head, 29, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, Fatema Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31, are all charged with criminal damage after the incident at the Elbit Systems site near Bristol on August 6 2024.
Head, Corner and Kamio also faced one count each of violent disorder, but the prosecution told Woolwich Crown Court on Monday (13 April 2026) that it will offer no evidence in relation to those charges.
Mr Justice Johnson formally acquitted Head, Corner and Kamio of violent disorder, saying: “I will direct not guilty verdicts in respect of those three defendants on that count.”
The six defendants continue to face trial on criminal damage, and Corner faces a further count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Police Sergeant Kate Evans.
A jury has been sworn in at Woolwich Crown Court but the prosecution is not expected to open the case until Wednesday.
Mr Justice Johnson gave jurors some opening remarks before sending them home, urging them not to get distracted by the legal battle over Palestine Action’s ban as a terrorist organisation and to put any views they may have about the Israel-Hamas war to one side.
The judge said: “The prosecution are likely to say that each defendant was a member of Palestine Action and that they acted jointly in the name of Palestine Action to break into a building to destroy property belonging to others.
“Last year the former home secretary proscribed Palestine Action under the terrorism legislation but you are concerned with events that happened in August 2024, so well before that, and at that time Palestine Action was not proscribed.
“There is controversy and argument about whether the home secretary’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action was lawful or unlawful and that issue is currently going through the courts.
“The High Court has recently ruled that the proscription of Palestine Action was disproportionate and unlawful and that is currently subject to an appeal in the Court of Appeal.
“It is important though that you are not distracted by any of that.
“You will appreciate it is vitally important that you judge the case only on the evidence, not on the basis of what the defendants, or you, the Home Secretary, the Government or anyone else thinks about Palestine Action and events in the Middle East.
“You must certainly not hold the proscription of Palestine Action against the defendants in any way.”
He added that whether jurors “thought they had some moral justification is completely beside the point”.
Instructing them to put their personal views to one side, the judge said: “Many people have strong views about events in the Middle East and the war in Gaza. “Some of you may feel that Israel is entitled to do what it has done in Gaza in order to defend itself against Hamas, others may feel that Israel has acted unlawfully, even that they have committed acts of genocide.
“You must put any views that you may have on these matters to one side. They are completely irrelevant to your job in this case.”
Mr Justice Johnson also warned jurors that they may see protesters outside court, saying they should ignore them and any signs they hold up.
A small group of supporters of the defendants gathered outside Woolwich Crown Court on Monday with signs and Palestinian flags.
The defendants deny all the charges brought against them.