A group of Palestine Action activists, recently acquitted of charges related to a raid at an Israeli defense firm, now face the prospect of a retrial. This development follows an incident that left a police officer with severe injuries, including a ‘shattered spine’.

The activists, six in total, were initially cleared of aggravated burglary charges after their raid on an Ebit Systems facility near Bristol. The operation resulted in damages exceeding £1 million and left Sergeant Kate Evans injured when she was struck by a sledgehammer.

During the trial, Sergeant Evans recounted the harrowing moment she believed her spine had been shattered. The assault occurred while she was attempting to arrest a female activist. The injury led to a fracture of her lumbar spine and a significant bruise, incapacitating her for three months.

The jury at Woolwich Crown Court was unable to reach a verdict on the charge of grievous bodily harm against Samuel Corner, a 23-year-old mathematician educated at Oxford. The charges also included two counts of criminal damage, involving the alleged spraying of red paint and the destruction of computers with hammers.

In light of the inconclusive trial, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has declared its intention to pursue a retrial. The details of this new indictment are expected to be revealed at a hearing slated for February 18.

But the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced today that it would be seeking a retrial and will reveal the indictment at a hearing scheduled for February 18.

In a statement, a CPS spokesperson said: ‘Prosecutors are now considering the precise basis on which that retrial would proceed, including the form of the indictment, in accordance with CPS legal guidance.’

The move comes after shadow home secretary Chris Philp wrote to Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, to call for a retrial of the criminal damage and GBH charges.

From left: Jordan Devlin, Leona Kamio, Charlotte Head, Fatema Rajwani, Zoe Rodgers and Samuel Corner were cleared of aggravated burglary over a break in at Elbit Systems factory in Bristol. The CPS has now announced it would be seeking a retrial

Footage played to jurors showed the six wearing red jumpsuits during the demonstration in the early hours of August 6, 2024 

Leona Kamio seen being arrested by police in footage taken during the raid

Mr Philp said CPS guidance stated 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.’     

Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, also spoke out after the verdict, saying the outcome could put officers at risk in the future. 

‘UK policing is disappointed that the jury in this case could not reach verdicts in relation to an alleged serious assault against a police officer,’ he said. 

‘Brave officers run towards danger every day, with only one intention, to keep the public safe. They do this without fear or favour, and often without any thought for their own safety. 

‘The officer in this case continues to live with the impact of the injuries she sustained during this incident and it is vital that we recognise the courage she has shown since.’

The Police Federation, which represents frontline officers, had also written to Mr Parkinson, saying they had ‘serious concerns’ about the ‘operational and safety’ implications for officers handling protests and public order. 

One of the group was seen being taken down by police officers with a taser after the incident at the Israeli owned factory near Bristol 

Another clip showed the group breaking into the building by using an old prison van to ram through a large roll-up door leading to a loading dock

A final clip shows one Palestine Action member being dragged out of the building by police after all six were arrested

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 earlier this week.

Corner, Charlotte Head, Leona Kamio, Fatema Rajwani, Zoe Rogers and Jordan Devlin were cleared of aggravated burglary after the jury deliberated for more than 36 hours at the end of a 12-week trial.

Jurors also found Ms Rajwani, Ms Rogers and Mr Devlin not guilty of violent disorder.

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

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’ 

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.

Footage played to jurors showed the group wearing red jumpsuits and white hard hats during the raid on the factory in the early hours of August 6, 2024.

Body-worn footage belonging to one of the security guards showed three of the defendants shout ‘f*** off as they approached him – one holding a lighted flare and the two others wielding sledgehammers.

Charity worker, Ms Head, 29, drove a prison van into the site’s perimeter fence before using it as a battering ram to get into the factory at around 3.30am on August 6, 2024, the court was told

The six carried out their action, in what was described by Ms Head as ‘the craziest 20 minutes of [her life], before they were arrested.

Prosecutors said the six tried to ’cause as much damage as possible and obtain information about the company’.

Security guards attempted to stop the group, but were sworn at and told to leave, they alleged.

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 serious harm

They added that the guards had sledgehammers swung at them and were whipped, while one was sprayed with a foam fire extinguisher.

The defendants – except Mr Devlin – all gave evidence and told jurors they had entered the property without permission and damaged Elbit’s equipment, which included computers and drones.

They intended to use the sledgehammers solely destroy property and had not planned to use violent action, the court was told.

Rajiv Menon KC, defending, said the group had not expected security guards to enter the factory during their action, and were ‘completely out of their depth’.

Meanwhile, the defendants ‘genuinely believed’ their demonstration at the factory would help the Palestinian cause in Gaza, the trial heard.

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.’

All of the defendants except Mr Corner were granted conditional bail at a Woolwich Crown Court hearing after the trial concluded.