Tories demand retrial of Palestine Action activists cleared of raid on Israeli defence agency that left policewoman injured after she was attacked with a sledgehammer
The Tories have demanded a retrial for a group of Palestine Action protesters behind a break-in at an Israeli defence firm that left a policewoman with a ‘shattered spine’ after being hit with a sledgehammer.
Six activists were cleared of aggravated burglary after a raid on an Ebit Systems building near Bristol caused more than £1million worth of damage and badly hurt Sergeant Kate Evans.
The jury at Woolwich Crown Court failed to reach a verdict on the charge of grievous bodily harm against Oxford-educated mathematician Samuel Corner, 23, as well as two counts of criminal damage over the alleged spraying of red paint and breaking of computers with hammers.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, has now written to Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, to call for a retrial of the criminal damage and GBH charges.
Mr Philp said Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance stated that a retrial might be necessary if a jury failed to reach a verdict, there was ‘sufficient evidence’ for a realistic prospect of conviction and a retrial was in the public interest.
He said the Palestine Action trial met these criteria, adding: ‘I therefore urge you to seek a retrial on these charges. There is no justification for this violence, no matter how strongly someone feels about a cause.
‘This verdict risks giving the green light to mob violence in pursuit of a political objective.’
Lawyers representing Samuel Corner, 23, an Oxford-educated mathematician, linguist and philosopher accused of grievous bodily harm against the policewoman, told the court the ‘gentle man’ did it to protect the other activists and he did not cause her really serious harm
From left: Jordan Devlin, Leona Kamio, Charlotte Head, Fatema Rajwani, Zoe Rodgers and Samuel Corner have been cleared of aggravated burglary over a break in at Elbit Systems factory in Bristol
The Police Federation, which represents frontline officers, has also written to Mr Parkinson, saying they had ‘serious concerns’ about the ‘operational and safety’ implications for officers handling protests and public order.
The organisation went on to criticise Zack Polanski, the Green Party leader, who suggested the jury verdicts were a ‘moral vindication’ of the activists involved in the incident on August 6, 2024.
It said his comments ‘risked sending a message, intentional or not, that injury to police officers is an acceptable or incidental concern of political protest’.
Mr Polanski retweeted a conspiracy theorist who claimed Yvette Cooper made up a ‘lie’ about the sergeant being badly hurt by an activist to justify proscribing PA as a terrorist group.
He also claimed that ‘people protesting against a genocide are not the criminals here’.
Responding to Mr Polanski’s tweet, Tory shadow minister Neil O’Brien said: ‘A female police officer had her spine smashed with sledgehammer from behind and the Greens are jubilant they got off. These people are beyond disgusting.’
Mr Polanski declined to comment further when approached by the Mail today.
Corner, Charlotte Head, Leona Kamio, Fatema Rajwani, Zoe Rogers and Jordan Devlin were cleared of aggravated burglary yesterday after the jury deliberated for more than 36 hours at the end of a 12-week trial.
Zack Polanski, the Green Party leader, suggested the jury verdicts were a ‘moral vindication’ of the activists involved in the incident on August 6, 2024
He also claimed that ‘people protesting against a genocide are not the criminals here’
Mr Polanski retweeted a conspiracy theorist who claimed Yvette Cooper made up a ‘lie’ about the sergeant being badly hurt by an activist to justify proscribing PA as a terrorist group.
Jurors also found Ms Rajwani, Ms Rogers and Mr Devlin not guilty of violent disorder.
The jury deliberated for 36 hours and 34 minutes but could not reach verdicts for charges of criminal damage against all six defendants.
No verdict was reached on charges of violent disorder against Ms Head, Mr Corner and Ms Kamio.
After the verdicts Mr Polanski retweeted Craig Murray, a former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan turned conspiracy theorist who questioned whether Sgt Evans had really been hurt.
Mr Murray once suggested that Israel may have been behind the Salisbury nerve agent poisoning that targeted a former Russian spy and his daughter, widely believed to have been carried out by agents of Vladimir Putin.
The Green leader also wrote: ‘Pleased to see the jury make this decision. We need to have eyes wide open this is exactly why the Government wants to abolish juries.
‘People protesting against a genocide are not the criminals here – it’s the politicians who continue to provide cover.’
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp has called for the protesters to be retried
All of the defendants except Mr Corner were granted conditional bail at a Woolwich Crown Court hearing after the trial concluded.
All of the defendants except Mr Corner were granted conditional bail at a Woolwich Crown Court hearing after the trial concluded.
