Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Sean Middlebrough, a 33-year-old from Liverpool and prominent figure in the activist group Palestine Action, has been convicted in absentia for a break-in at a British arms manufacturer, resulting in damage valued at £1.2 million. Middlebrough disappeared last October after being granted temporary bail to attend his brother’s wedding. Since going on the run, he has communicated with supporters, referring to himself as a “prisoner of war.”
The trial, which began in Middlebrough’s absence, ended last month with a majority jury verdict of nine to one, finding him guilty of criminal damage. Prosecutors detailed how Middlebrough played a crucial role in orchestrating the August 2024 incursion at Elbit Systems’ Bristol facility, a defence company with Israeli ownership. This incident took place almost a year before the government designated Palestine Action as a banned group under counter-terrorism legislation.
During the break-in, several Palestine Action members forced their way into the site by ramming a van into the building. Once inside, they destroyed military equipment, including drones that the activists claimed were destined for use in Gaza—a claim the firm denies, stating that operations at the Bristol site do not support Israel. Prosecutors described Middlebrough’s involvement as including participation in encrypted communications and funding the operation with £890, part of which was used to purchase sledgehammers and other items employed during the raid. One of these sledgehammers was wielded by Samuel Corner, who caused severe injury to a police officer by fracturing her spine.
Other defendants involved in the break-in faced similar charges, with Corner now serving a prison sentence for criminal damage and inflicting grievous bodily harm. While Middlebrough was convicted of criminal damage, the jury did not reach a verdict on other charges against him and seven other alleged organisers, resulting in a retrial set for June 2028. Most of the defendants, including Middlebrough, deny all outstanding charges, such as violent disorder. Middlebrough initially began sending recordings from jail, labelling himself a political prisoner, but these broadcasts were later stopped by prison authorities following his disappearance
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.