One of the defendants, Samuel Corner, 23, was called to testify on Thursday and told<\/a> the court that he hit the officer with a sledgehammer after hearing \u201csomeone screaming\u201d and fearing that one of his fellow activists was being hurt by security personnel.<\/p>\n The officer suffered a fractured spine from the attack and remains on restricted duty.<\/p>\n \u201cIt seemed reasonable to do something, and I had to act quickly,\u201d Corner reportedly told the court. He accepted in court that the officer was not injuring anyone and acknowledged in hindsight that his actions were extreme.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tGet The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition \t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n Corner said the group\u2019s aim was to \u201cshut Elbit down\u201d by damaging equipment they believed was linked to the Israeli company\u2019s weapons production. Jurors heard the attackers say they used sledgehammers and crowbars to destroy computers and drones during the break-in.<\/p>\n \t During the trial, the court\u2019s public gallery was filled with supporters of the defendants, some of whom wore keffiyeh scarves. Three pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested outside the court.<\/p>\n The August 2024 raid, which prosecutors said caused about 1 million pounds ($1.4 million) in damages, took place around 10 months into the Gaza war triggered by Hamas\u2019s October 7 terror onslaught.<\/p>\n The initial verdict on the raid drew criticism from police, lawmakers and Jewish communal groups. The retrial<\/a> concerns the charges of criminal damage and violent disorder.<\/p>\n The retrial is expected to continue next week.<\/p>\n Palestine Action was banned in the UK in July 2025 after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base and vandalized aircraft in protest of Britain\u2019s military support for Israel. Earlier this year, Britain\u2019s High Court ruled<\/a> that the proscription was unlawful, but allowed it to remain in place to allow the government to appeal the decision.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tSamuel Corner (far right) and other Palestine Action activists Jordan Devlin, Leona Kamio, Charlotte Head, Fatema Rajwani and Zoe Rogers. (Used under clause 27a of the Israeli copyright law. Taken from social media)<\/p>\n
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