Four Palestine Action activists have been convicted of criminal damage following a raid on an Elbit Systems factory near Bristol. The group broke into the Israeli defence company's UK facility and destroyed equipment using sledgehammers and crowbars.

Samuel Corner, one of the four defendants, was also found guilty of grievous bodily harm after hitting a police officer with a sledgehammer during the incident. The activists' stated aim was to shut down the factory's operations.

Elbit Systems is an Israeli defence contractor that manufactures military equipment. Palestine Action is a direct action group that targets what it describes as Israeli military installations and companies in the UK.

The convictions follow a trial where the defendants faced charges related to the break-in and destruction of property at the facility. The incident represents part of ongoing activist campaigns targeting defence companies with Israeli connections operating in the UK.