Palestine Action activists accused of hitting police officer with sledgehammer
Palestine Action activists struck a female police officer with a sledgehammer after forcibly entering a defence factory, as reported in court.
The group, wearing jumpsuits and equipped with whips, fireworks, an axe, and a paintball gun, allegedly drove an old prison van through the gate at Elbit Systems UK in Bristol last August.
On Tuesday, Woolwich Crown Court heard that Sgt Kate Evans sustained a fracture to her lumbar spine after being hit with a sledgehammer while on the ground.
Samuel Corner, 23, denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Deanna Heer KC, prosecuting, informed jurors that the attack had been “meticulously organized”, with the group in color-coded tracksuits.
She said: “The role of the black team was to overpower the security guards by threatening, intimidating, and, if necessary, assaulting them so the red team could enter the buildings to cause as much damage as possible and gather information about the company.”
Mr. Corner, along with Charlotte Head, 29, Leona Kamio, 30, Fateema Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22, and 31-year-old Jordan Devlin, all deny charges of aggravated burglary, criminal damage, and violent disorder.
Ms. Heer stated that the defendants were all part of the red team, adding: “When they broke into the premises, they were each armed with a sledgehammer. It is clear these sledgehammers were intended to be used to damage property, but they were also carried as weapons to potentially threaten and harm people.”
Head of Investigations
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