Overview
- At Woolwich Crown Court, Samuel Corner told jurors the sledgehammer strike “seemed reasonable at the time” and accepted Sgt Kate Evans was not injuring anyone before he hit her.
- Corner said he swung to protect a fellow campaigner after hearing screams and said he did not intend to seriously hurt anyone.
- Prosecutors say the group broke in by ramming factory shutters with a prison van, then smashed computers and drones with tools and sprayed red paint, and the court heard Sgt Evans’ spine was fractured.
- The six defendants, including Charlotte Head and Corner, face criminal damage charges over the August 6, 2024 raid, and Corner also denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
- The activists say they targeted Elbit to stop weapons production and believed they had a lawful excuse, a claim the jury will weigh against the prosecution’s account of a planned destructive raid.