More than 70 protesters arrested outside court

Police have arrested 72 protesters after a Palestine Action demonstration outside of court ahead of the sentencing of four activists convicted of criminal damage.

Charlotte Head, 30, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, and Fatema Rajwani, 21, are due to be sentenced later for their involvement in a raid at a UK site of an Israel-based defence firm near Bristol in August 2024.

Mr Justice Johnson told Woolwich Crown Court the £1.2m worth of damage at Elbit Systems was "not trivial or minor" and the group will be sentenced on the basis it had a "terrorist connection".

Corner was also convicted of causing grievous bodily harm after he fractured Sgt Kate Evans' spine with a sledgehammer in the raid.

Mr Justice Johnson ruled that the actions of the offenders amounted to serious damage to influence the government and to intimidate a section of the public in order to advance their cause.

"I am bound to find that the offence in each case had a terrorist connection and to apply that as an aggravating factor increasing the seriousness of the offence," he told the court.

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