A jury at the Old Bailey has been discharged after failing to reach verdicts on the majority of charges against eight Palestine Action activists accused of organising a raid on an Elbit Systems UK site in Filton, near Bristol, on 6 August 2024. Judge Patrick Field discharged the jury on the case after 37 hours of deliberation, with the Crown Prosecution Service now expected to decide whether to pursue a retrial.
The eight defendants — Ian Sanders, 47, of Leamington Spa; Aleksandra Herbich, 42, of Brent in north-west London; Teuta Hoxha, 30, of Southwark in south-east London; Sean Middleborough, 34, of Liverpool; Julija Brigadirova, 34, of Chorlton in Manchester; Hannah Davidson; Madeleine Norman; and William Plastow — had all been charged with criminal damage in connection with the raid on the Israel-based defence firm's UK factory. All eight were also charged with violent disorder, though Plastow had already been acquitted of that charge earlier in proceedings.
What were the activists accused of doing?
Prosecutors told the court that none of the eight defendants were physically present at the Filton site during the raid itself, but alleged instead that they helped plan the operation. This allegedly included compiling a list of equipment, carrying out reconnaissance, purchasing tools and weapons later used by others, and coordinating both the break-in and its filming. The defendants denied any wrongdoing throughout the trial, which had run at the Old Bailey since 22 June 2026.
How does this compare with other Palestine Action cases?
According to Declassified UK, the trial ran for roughly eight weeks and the jury was ultimately unable to reach verdicts on seven of the eight defendants, with only the single guilty finding of criminal damage returned by majority verdict. The same report lists slightly different ages for two defendants than those given by the court — Madeleine Norman as 31 rather than unspecified, and Sean Middlebrough as 33 rather than 34 — a discrepancy noted here for clarity.
The Filton case follows a series of Palestine Action prosecutions linked to Elbit Systems sites and other targets across the UK. Earlier this year, six activists were acquitted of aggravated burglary over a separate Elbit-linked break-in, according to a report by the Forward, though jurors in that case likewise could not agree on accompanying criminal damage charges. Separately, our earlier coverage detailed how four Palestine Action activists were sentenced as terrorists over £1.2m of damage at an Elbit factory, marking a UK legal first affecting parole eligibility, while another group faced terror-linked sentencing over damage to a Barclays branch in Burnley. The wider legal status of the group is also under scrutiny after the Supreme Court agreed to review the ban on Palestine Action following an appeal by co-founder Huda Ammori.
What happens next?
A hearing has been scheduled for 14 September 2026 to determine whether the Crown Prosecution Service will seek a retrial of the seven defendants whose charges remain unresolved, according to court listings reported by the broadcaster covering the case. Declassified UK similarly reports that the retrial question is expected to be addressed at that September hearing rather than immediately following the jury's discharge, and court listings show the case was still active at the Old Bailey in Court 16 during the week of 11–13 August 2026, according to Old Bailey court schedules.
Key Facts
- Raid on Elbit Systems UK site in Filton, near Bristol, occurred on 6 August 2024.
- Eight defendants faced criminal damage and violent disorder charges; one was acquitted of violent disorder before the jury's discharge.
- Jury deliberated for 37 hours before being discharged, reaching only one guilty verdict on criminal damage.
- Trial ran for approximately eight weeks at the Old Bailey, beginning 22 June 2026.
- Retrial decision hearing scheduled for 14 September 2026.
