Four face 2027 trial over alleged Palestine Action aircraft damage

Independent

5 days ago

Four people accused of plotting to damage two Voyager aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in a demonstration allegedly carried out by members of Palestine Action face trial in 2027.
About £7 million worth of damage was caused to the aircraft at the airbase in Oxfordshire on June 20 in an incident alleged to have a 'terrorist connection', the Old Bailey heard.
Amy Gardiner-Gibson, 29, Jony Cink, 24, Daniel Jeronymides-Norie, 36, and Lewis Chiaramello, 22, are charged with conspiracy to enter a prohibited place 'knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom', and conspiracy to commit criminal damage.
It has previously been alleged the defendants had been heavily involved in Palestine Action at the time.
On the same day they were charged, MPs backed the Government's move to ban the direct action group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation.
On Friday, the defendants appeared at the Old Bailey for a hearing to set a timetable for the case amid heightened security outside the central London court.
The two female defendants appeared by video-link from Bronzefield jail with the two male defendants in the dock in court.
Watched by members of the public in a packed public gallery, the defendants spoke only to confirm their identities.
Prosecutor Jonathan Polnay KC said the case related to 'criminal damage to two aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in the early hours of June 20 which caused extensive damage to the aircraft'.
He said the case was being heard in the terrorism list before Mrs Justice Cheema- Grubb, 'the prosecution submission being this case has a terrorist connection'.
Mr Polnay said a provisional trial fixture of six to eight weeks had been identified from January 18 2027.
He accepted that was 'obviously a considerable distance away' and there was uncertainty at this stage how long any trial would take.
He added the length of the trial would depend on whether the defendants accepted being involved in the 'physical acts undoubtedly taken'.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said the 2027 trial date meant an 'inordinately long time' for the four young people to wait in custody.
She said: 'The sooner the real issues in this case are identified the better for everyone, particularly in fixing the trial date.'
The senior judge confirmed the 2027 trial date at the Old Bailey but said she would review it at a plea hearing on January 16 next year.
Gardiner-Gibson, Jony Cink, both of no fixed address, Jeronymides-Norie, of Barnet, north London, and Chiaramello, of Brent, north London, were remanded into custody.