Four activists from Palestine Action were convicted and sentenced for a 2024 break-in at the Elbit Systems factory in Gloucestershire, causing about £1.2 million in damage, including to 41 military assets and drone units [1, 2]. Samuel Corner, one of the activists, was also found guilty of grievous bodily harm after striking a police officer with a sledgehammer during the raid [1, 2].
Judge Jeremy Johnson ruled the offenses carried a "terrorist connection" under the Sentencing Act and sentenced all four as terrorists [1, 2]. The judge said, "I am sure that each defendant’s offence of criminal damage... was for the purpose of advancing a political or ideological cause" and described Corner’s force as "extreme and gratuitous" against a vulnerable officer [1, 2].
The sentences handed down ranged from four years and eight months to seven years and eight months in prison [2]. The hearing took place on June 12, 2026, at Woolwich Crown Court [1, 2].
The raid occurred in August 2024 when the activists broke into the factory causing extensive damage to military hardware including drone units [1, 2]. Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organization in the UK in July 2025 [2].
The prosecution's decision to apply terrorism sentencing to the activists' offenses sparked debate, with defense lawyers arguing it was unprecedented to label non-violent acts as terrorism and warning of authoritarian overreach. Rajiv Menon KC, representing one defendant, said it was "unprecedented for the prosecution to apply for a judge to sentence a defendant as a terrorist for a non-violent offence" [1].
Outside the court on sentencing day, around 500 protesters gathered in support of the activists. The demonstration resulted in 72 arrests [2]. The Filton 25 Defence Committee NGO called the activists’ actions a "duty," saying they "destroyed over 40 Israeli weapons... By taking direct action, they saved lives. That is not terrorism" [2].
The convictions and sentences mark the latest legal development following the 2024 raid and the UK government’s move to ban Palestine Action as a terrorist group in 2025 [2].
