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 testified he struck Police Sergeant Kate Evans with a sledgehammer to protect a fellow Palestine Action activist during a raid at an Elbit Systems UK site near Bristol on August 6, 2024. The incident left Sergeant Evans with a fractured spine. Corner and five other defendants deny charges of criminal damage, while Corner also denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
- Samuel Corner testified he struck Police Sergeant Kate Evans to protect another activist during the raid.
- The incident resulted in Sergeant Evans suffering a fractured spine.
- Six defendants are on trial for criminal damage; Corner faces an additional charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
- Corner claimed he believed someone was being seriously hurt and acted instinctively.
- Fatema Rajwani testified the group's intention was to dismantle drones and weaponry at Elbit Systems UK.
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▼Source Claims Check
1 Difference FoundAll 5 publishers report consistent facts across 5 key claims. 1 point of difference noted.
| Claim | Status | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intention Of The Raid | 1 Difference | Corner said intention was to shut Elbit down; Rajwani said it was to dismantle drones. | ▼ |
| Motive For Attack On Sergeant Evans | Broad Agreement | Corner claimed he heard someone screaming and believed another demonstrator was being seriously hur… | |
| Injuries Sustained By Sergeant Evans | Broad Agreement | Sergeant Evans suffered a fractured spine. | |
| Corner's Reaction During The Raid | Broad Agreement | I immediately couldn't open my eyes or see. Luckily I could walk away and not hit anything but ther… | |
| Corner's Acknowledgment Of Actions | Broad Agreement | 'seemed reasonable' at the time to act quickly but now accepts he hit her while she was on her knee… | |
| Rajwani's Description Of Sledgehammer | Broad Agreement | 'was very heavy' and she 'could barely lift it'. |
Intention Of The Raid
▼Corner said intention was to shut Elbit down; Rajwani said it was to dismantle drones.
Motive For Attack On Sergeant Evans
Broad AgreementCorner claimed he heard someone screaming and believed another demonstrator was being seriously hurt.
Injuries Sustained By Sergeant Evans
Broad AgreementSergeant Evans suffered a fractured spine.
Corner's Reaction During The Raid
Broad AgreementI 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.
Corner's Acknowledgment Of Actions
Broad Agreement'seemed reasonable' at the time to act quickly but now accepts he hit her while she was on her knees trying to arrest another defendant.
Rajwani's Description Of Sledgehammer
Broad Agreement'was very heavy' and she 'could barely lift it'.
This analysis is AI-generated and may not perfectly represent each source's reporting. Always read the original articles for full context.
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.'
During cross-examination, Corner admitted that Sergeant Evans posed no threat to him and acknowledged in hindsight that his actions were extreme given the consequences. He stated that it 'seemed reasonable' at the time to act quickly but now accepts he hit her while she was on her knees trying to arrest another defendant.
The defendants deny all charges, and the trial continues.
Fatema Rajwani, 21, one of the defendants, testified that their specific intention during the raid was to 'dismantle drones and weaponry' in a bid to disrupt operations. According to BBC, Rajwani stated: 'Justice and truth have always been central to my life growing up.' She described the sledgehammer as very heavy and said she intended to use it to smash drones, which she believed would kill and injure children.
Rajwani recalled a point where everything had 'gone badly wrong' after security staff intervened to stop the group. A security guard began screaming for the activists to get on the floor, she told the court. She also described a phone she had with her that day as communal and denied using it to connect the activists to a chat group.
How this summary was created
This summary synthesizes reporting from 5 independent publishers using AI. All sources are cited and linked below. NewsBalance is a news aggregator and media literacy tool, not a news publisher. AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies — always verify important information with the original sources.