Pro-Palestine protesters face retrial over damage

Four pro-Palestine protesters accused of causing criminal damage to an aerospace factory are to face a retrial next year.

Iain Evans, 33, Hisham Alkhamesi, 23, Hana Yun-Stevens, 24, and Frank Sherman, 23, also known as Bea Sherman, all deny acting unlawfully when damage was caused to Moog Wolverhampton Ltd in August last year.

Prosecutors allege the defendants, who believed the business was involved in the supply chain to Israel, had no lawful excuse to act as they did.

Last month, a jury failed to reach a verdict and earlier on Friday, judge Mr Justice Wall said a trial would start on 8 March "or very shortly thereafter".

Evans, of Saltaire in Shipley, West Yorkshire, Alkhamesi, of Burbage, near Hinckley, Leicestershire, Yun-Stevens, from south-west London, and Sherman, of Ditchling, East Sussex, have pleaded not guilty to a single count of causing criminal damage to property.

The defendants, who spoke only to confirm their identities, all appeared at Birmingham Crown Court via video-link, to hear prosecutor Rupert Jones apply for the case to be re-tried.

The Crown alleges the four caused criminal damage at the factory in the Pendeford area of Wolverhampton by cutting away sections of roofing using power tools and smashing hundreds of solar panels.

Setting a date for a re-trial expected to last for about five days at a court venue which has yet to be finalised, the High Court judge said: "In the case of each of the four defendants I will extend bail on the same terms as they have been up until today."

The jury at Birmingham Crown Court failed to reach any verdicts on the defendants in June.

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