Samuel Corner, a 23-year-old Palestine Action activist, testified in Woolwich Crown Court that he struck Police Sergeant Kate Evans with a sledgehammer to protect a fellow campaigner during a raid at an Elbit Systems UK site near Bristol on August 6, 2024. According to Daily Mail, Corner claimed he heard someone screaming and believed another demonstrator was being seriously hurt.
Key Takeaways
Samuel Corner, a Palestine Action activist, testified that he struck a police officer with a sledgehammer to protect a fellow campaigner during a raid at an Elbit Systems UK site near Bristol. The incident occurred on August 6, 2024, and resulted in Sergeant Kate Evans suffering a fractured spine.
The incident resulted in Sergeant Evans suffering a fractured spine. Corner denied that violence was part of the group's plan during their raid at Israel-based defence firm Elbit Systems UK site near Bristol on August 6, 2024. Alongside Corner, Charlotte Head, Leona Kamio, Fatema Rajwani, Zoe Rogers, and Jordan Devlin are on trial accused of criminal damage over the incident.
Corner testified that he was sprayed 'straight in the face' with an incapacitant when police descended on the factory. He said: 'I immediately couldn't open my eyes or see. Luckily I could walk away and not hit anything but there was just all-consuming pain in my face.' According to The Guardian, Corner, who is autistic, squeezed an anti-stress toy while giving evidence.
Corner maintained that the intention of the raid was to 'shut Elbit down' so it could no longer make weapons at the factory. He told jurors: 'We intended to destroy weapons and things needed to make weapons which we believed were going to be used to cause death and destruction.' The defendants deny all charges, and the trial continues.
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