Eight activists appear in court over break-in at Israeli defence firm’s UK site

Eight pro-Palestine protesters have appeared in court after being charged over allegedly breaking into an Israel-based defence firm’s site in South Gloucestershire.

Elbit Systems UK’s site near Patchway, Bristol, was allegedly attacked by members of Palestine Action in the early hours of August 6, the Old Bailey heard previously.

Sean Middlebrough, 32, Aleksandra Herbich, 40, Tutea Hoxa, 28, Julija Brigadirova, 32, Huba Muraisi, 30, Qesser Zuhrah, 19, Zahra Farooque, 24, and Kamran Ahmed, 27, are all accused of aggravated burglary and criminal damage.

Hoxa, from Beckenham, south-east London, and Brigadirova, of Manchester, only face those two counts.

While Middlebrough, of Liverpool, Herbich, of Kensal Rise, north-west London, Zuhrah, of Woolwich, south-east London, Muraisi, of Bloomsbury, central London, Farooque, of Fulham, south-west London, and Ahmed, of East Ham, east London, have also been charged with violent disorder.

The group appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday where they were ordered to appear at the Old Bailey on December 6.

District Judge Snow refused the defendants bail and remanded them in custody.

At least 30 friends and family appeared in the public gallery, waiving at the defendants and pumping their fists in the air as they appeared.

After the judge’s decision to refuse them bail, a number of supporters burst into tears. Outside, a small group was staging a protest and waving Palestinian flags near the entrance to the court.

A previous court hearing was told a vehicle was driven into the building’s doors during the protest, and two responding police officers and a security guard were injured.

Ten others have appeared in court and are due to stand trial next year charged over the same incident.

Samuel Corner, 22, of Devon, is charged with criminal damage, violent disorder, and aggravated burglary using a sledgehammer as an offensive weapon.

He is also charged with wounding police sergeant Kate Evans “with intent to resist or prevent the lawful apprehension or detention of another”.

It is also alleged he caused actual bodily harm to Angelo Volante and Pc Aaron Buxton.

Jordan Devlin, 30, of Stoke Newington, north-east London, Charlotte Head, 28, of Caerleon, Newport, South Wales, Leona Kamio, 28, of Hackney, east London, Fatema Rajwani, 20, of East Mitcham, Merton, south-west London, and Zoe Rogers, 20, of Enfield, north London, are all charged with criminal damage, violent disorder and aggravated burglary using a sledgehammer.

Hannah Davidson, 51, of Calder Gardens, Edinburgh, Ian Sanders, 45, of Regent Place, Leamington Spa, William Plastow, 33, of High Croft Avenue, Manchester, and Madeline Norman, 29, of Wester Drylaw Drive, Edinburgh, are also jointly charged with criminal damage and aggravated burglary using a sledgehammer in relation to the incident.

Norman is also charged with violent disorder.