Judge acquits Palestine Action Filton defendant

An Old Bailey judge has declared Palestine Action ‘actionist’ William Plastow, 35, not guilty of the state’s charge of ‘violent disorder’. The case demonstrates why the state is so keen to prevent juries knowing their right to acquit or being told about the political context for damage to Israel weapons factories.

The judge in the recent trial of four ‘Filton 25’ activists banned lawyers from informing the jury it could acquit. He banned discussion of political context. He also banned even the press from reporting that he would sentence the activists as terrorists despite no terror charges being brought.

The alleged offences were committed well before the Starmer regime banned non-violent Palestine Action as a terrorist group equivalent to ISIS and Al Qaeda. The jury rejected charges of planned violence, but convicted of criminal damage. The judge, a former security services lawyer, then imposed “grotesque and dystopian” sentences on the victims.

Judicial fairness

In contrast, Patrick Field – the presiding judge in Plastow’s trial, which involves seven other defendants – told the jury that the prosecution had not made its case for the violent disorder for which it hoped to jail Plastow:

The prosecution has not produced enough evidence against him to show that he intended that there would be violent disorder at Filton or that he assisted anyone to commit that offence.

Plastow still faces a criminal damage charge, but the ‘violent disorder’ charge fell apart as soon as the court played fair.

Not even present

Ian Sanders, 47, Aleksandra Herbich, 41, Teuta Hoxha, 30, Sean Middlebrough, 33, Julia Brigadirova, 33, Hannah Davidson, 53 and Madeleine Norman, 31, also face charges of violent disorder and criminal damage. They deny all charges.

The defendants were not even at the Filton action, but the prosecution claims that they are “equally responsible” for buying tools and providing reconnaissance before the raid. Norman told the court that she “felt compelled” to help because of arms firm Elbit’s involvement in Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

The trial continues.

Featured image via Rebels in Prison