Palestine Action Activist Accused of Assaulting Police Sergeant with Sledgehammer During Factory Break-In
A Palestine Action activist is accused of causing grievous bodily harm to a police sergeant during a break-in at an Elbit Systems UK factory in Bristol on August 6 of last year. The incident left the officer unable to perform basic daily tasks, including driving, showering, and dressing, a court has heard.
Six individuals – Charlotte Head, 29, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, Fatema Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31 – face charges of aggravated burglary, criminal damage, and violent disorder. Corner is additionally charged with causing grievous bodily harm to Police Sergeant Kate Evans. All defendants have pleaded not guilty.
The alleged attack occurred in the early hours of the morning as the group reportedly used a prison van to gain access to the factory, arriving in red jumpsuits and equipped with weapons and pyrotechnics.
According to testimony presented at Woolwich Crown Court, Sergeant Evans was attempting to handcuff a female activist when she felt a forceful blow to her back. “I remember looking up at my colleague. He just had this shocked face on him then I just remember pain in my back,” she recounted to the jury. “It was just a massive shock vibrating through my whole body… I felt frozen. I was stunned to begin with. I didn’t know what it was. I remember looking round and seeing the male with the sledgehammer behind me.”
The officer described the sensation as feeling like her “spine is shattered,” adding that the event unfolded with startling speed. While Sergeant Evans recalls a single strike, Police Constable Peter Adams, a colleague, testified that he witnessed Corner strike her on the back twice. Adams reported seeing Evans “screaming in pain and…fallen to the floor on her back.”
Another responding officer, Police Constable Aaron Buxton, stated that he was tackled to the floor by one activist when a “blond male” – allegedly Corner – turned and swung a sledgehammer multiple times in his direction. Buxton reported pain in his right calf and damage to his work radio.
Medical examinations revealed a large bruise on Sergeant Evans’ back and a fracture to her lumbar spine, resulting in a three-month absence from work.
The court also learned that Elbit Systems UK manufactures defense technology equipment for its parent company based in Israel. The trial, which is expected to continue through January, comes amid heightened scrutiny of Palestine Action and its tactics. The group has staged numerous protests and direct actions targeting companies involved in the Israeli defense industry.
- Kendrick Lamar Surprises Detroit Boy Arm Attack (newsy-today.com)
