Four Individuals Face Court Over Alleged £1 Million Factory Damage in Wolverhampton
Four people accused of causing more than £1 million in damage at a Midlands factory have made an appearance in court. The defendants, identified as Iain Evans, 32, Hisham Alkhamesi, 23, Bea Sherman, 23, and Hana Yun Stevens, 23, are alleged to have smashed into the Moog Inc site located at the i54 business park near Wolverhampton.
Court Proceedings and Adjournment
The defendants appeared via video link from prison for a plea hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday, February 13. They are charged with a single count of criminal damage dating back to August 26 of the previous year. The charge alleges that they destroyed or damaged property valued at over £1 million belonging to the defence manufacturer Moog Inc in Pendeford, without lawful excuse.
Originally scheduled for plea entries, the hearing was postponed by a judge in light of a recent High Court ruling. This ruling declared that a decision to ban Palestine Action as a terror group was unlawful and disproportionate, and it should be overturned. Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb agreed to adjourn the plea hearing at the request of the defendants' counsel to allow time for consideration of this ruling.
"I do not want to prevent the defence raising an argument that is not right and proper to raise. I am prepared to adjourn the hearing until the next terrorism list on February 27," stated Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb.
Background of the Alleged Incident
The incident is said to have occurred at 3:50 am on August 26 last year, when members of a group, identified online as Palestinian Martyrs, allegedly broke into the Moog Aircraft Group factory in Pendeford. According to Staffordshire Police, significant damage was inflicted on multiple skylights and solar panels during the event.
A video circulated on social media depicted a group ramming through gates using a four-wheel drive vehicle, followed by the release of a red flare and the use of a ladder to access the roof. The group claimed that the manufacturer was targeted because it supplies equipment fitted on F-35 fighter jets utilized by the Israeli government in operations against Palestinians in Gaza.
Defendant Details and Future Proceedings
The defendants, hailing from various locations across the UK—Evans from Shipley in West Yorkshire, Alkhamesi from Hinckley in Lincolnshire, Sherman from Hassocks in West Sussex, and Stevens from south-west London—have been remanded in custody. They are set to face a three-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court before a High Court judge, commencing on June 8.
This case highlights ongoing tensions and legal complexities surrounding protest actions linked to international conflicts, with the adjournment reflecting the interplay between criminal proceedings and broader judicial decisions on group classifications.
