Palestine Action defendant ‘missed the last year’ of his mother’s life while behind bars A defendant accused of involvement in a Palestine Action raid on an Israeli-owned arms factory said his mother died of terminal cancer while he was held on remand. William Plastow, 35, is among eight defendants facing charges in connection with a raid on an Elbit Systems factory in Filton, near Bristol, in August 2024. He told the court that he had been held on remand for 18 months following his arrest on 9 August 2024, but was granted bail on compassionate grounds to spend the last four days of his mother’s life at her bedside.
“I missed the last year of her life,” Plastow said. The defendants are accused of coordinating the break-in by conducting reconnaissance and purchasing equipment, but are not alleged to have entered the factory premises during the raid. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Last week, Plastow was acquitted of violent disorder by the presiding judge, Patrick Field, who concluded that the prosecution had not produced enough evidence against him.
He continues to face criminal damage charges. Plastow admits he purchased equipment for Palestine Action but denies knowing it was intended for use in the raid, stating he was unaware of the site's existence at the time. He is the only one of the defendants not alleged to have travelled to Bristol to assist with the action, instead remaining at his home in Manchester.
When giving evidence on Thursday, Plastow said that he was arrested by “about 20” counter terrorism police days after the raid and then held for six days “in a little white room with no windows and lights that didn’t go off”, like "Hannibal Lecter”. “That was the last day I got to spend with my mum before she was on her deathbed,” he said. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); He told the court that the first he had heard of the Filton action was via a tweet from Palestine Action on the morning of 6 August.
The post read: “By dismantling machinery a…
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