Palestine Action group cleared of violent disorder

Three Palestine Action activists have been found not guilty of violent disorder at a UK site of an Israel-based defence firm.

Charlotte Head, 29, Samuel Corner, 23, and Leona Kamio, 30, were accused in connection with a break-in at an Elbit Systems site near Bristol.

At Woolwich Crown Court on Monday, Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC said the Crown Prosecution Service offers no evidence on the charge of violent disorder.

The three continue to face a charge of criminal damage along with Fatema Zainab Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22 and Jordan Devlin, 31. Mr Corner also faces an additional charge of GBH with intent.

Mr Justice Johnson formally acquitted Head, Corner and Kamio of violent disorder, saying: "I will direct not guilty verdicts in respect of those three defendants on that count."

The six defendants continue to face trial on criminal damage, and Corner faces a further count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to police officer Kate Evans.

A jury has been sworn in for the case but the prosecution is not expected to open its case until Wednesday.

Johnson gave jurors some opening remarks before sending them home, urging them not to get distracted by the legal battle over Palestine Action's ban as a terrorist organisation, and to put any views they may have about the Israeli military operations in Gaza to one side.

He said it was "important" jurors were not "distracted" by the ongoing case over Palestine Action being proscribed a terrorist group.

"You will appreciate it is vitally important that you judge the case only on the evidence, not on the basis of what the defendants, or you, the home secretary, the government or anyone else thinks about Palestine Action and events in the Middle East," Johnson added.

He added that whether jurors "thought they [the defendants] had some moral justification is completely beside the point", adding that their views on the conflict in Gaza must be "put to one side".

"They are completely irrelevant to your job in this case," the judge said.

Jurors were also instructed to ignore any protesters outside court, with a small group of supporters of the defendants gathering outside the building with signs and Palestinian flags during the hearing.