Four Palestine Action activists jailed under terrorism provisions for £1.2m raid on Elbit Systems UK factory

Jun 12, 2026

Four Palestine Action activists have been jailed for a 2024 raid on an Elbit Systems UK factory that caused £1.2m in damage and left a police officer with a fractured spine. A judge controversially ruled the crime had a "terrorism connection," resulting in sentences of up to eight years. The ruling, a UK legal first for criminal damage, sparked protests that led to over 100 arrests.

Elbit Systems factory raid

▪Four Palestine Action activists were convicted of criminal damage for a raid on an Elbit Systems factory near Bristol in August 2024.
▪The four jailed activists are Charlotte Head, 30, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, and Fatema Rajwani, 21.
▪The raid caused £1.2 million in damage to equipment including military drone systems, IT systems, and computers.

Terrorism-connected sentencing

▪Judge Jeremy Johnson ruled the activists' offenses had a "terrorism connection" under the UK's Sentencing Act.
▪The terrorism ruling means the activists must serve at least two-thirds of their sentences and will be subject to 15 years of terrorist notification requirements.
▪The judge determined the raid was intended to influence the UK government's policy toward Israel and intimidate Elbit Systems.
▪The activists received prison sentences ranging from four years and eight months to seven years and eight months, plus an additional year on licence.
▪The case is considered the first time in the UK that criminal damage convictions have been classified as having a terrorism connection.

Police sergeant spinal injury

▪Samuel Corner was convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm for striking a police officer with a sledgehammer.
▪Police Sergeant Kate Evans suffered a fractured spine after being struck twice on the back by Samuel Corner.
▪As a result of her injuries, Sgt. Evans was forced to give up her rank and continues to receive medical treatment.

Palestine Action objectives

▪The activists stated their goal was to destroy equipment they believed would be sent to Israel and used against Palestinians in Gaza.
▪Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organization by the UK, a decision later ruled unlawful by the High Court, though the ban remains pending appeal.

Post-sentencing protest arrests

▪Police arrested over 100 protesters outside the court for allegedly supporting Palestine Action, a proscribed organization.
▪Around 500 people protested outside Woolwich Crown Court in support of the activists during the sentencing.