Body-camera video footage captured the moment Samuel Corner allegedly struck Sgt. Kate Evans twice struck across her back with a sledgehammer at an Israeli defense contractor's Bristol location, jurors at Woolwich Crown Court heard, according to The Telegraph. The 23-year-old activist faces accusations of fracturing the officer's spine during a predawn break-in at the Elbit Systems facility.
The August 6 assault left the sergeant unable to resume her duties for three months after sustaining a fractured lumbar vertebra. Prosecutors told jurors that Corner launched his attack while Evans knelt on the ground, arresting a female demonstrator at the defense technology manufacturing site.
Corner has entered a not guilty plea to charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Five additional activists – Charlotte Head, 29, Leona Kamio, 30, Fateema Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31 – similarly deny accusations of aggravated burglary, criminal damage, and violent disorder stemming from the incident.
Video evidence presented to the court shows the six-person group forcing entry into the compound, with sledgehammers allegedly wielded as offensive weapons during the confrontation with responding officers. The defendants reportedly arrived at the facility using a prison transport vehicle.
NEW: Police release footage to trial of the Palestine Action members. It shows the attack on PC Kate Evans with a sledgehammer. This is distressing. She still isn't back to normal duties. Yet mainstream journalists and celebs call Palestine Action non-violent. A nasty joke. pic.twitter.com/pMuoOeGLby
— Heidi Bachram 🎗️ (@HeidiBachram) November 24, 2025
Evans testified that her first sensation after being struck was believing her spine had "shattered" when Corner's sledgehammer made contact, according to The Telegraph. The sergeant described to jurors the moments before the alleged assault when she struggled to handcuff the activist beneath her.
"I can remember struggling with the handcuffs," she stated. "The ratchet bit got caught on the clothing, on her red boiler suit. Then I remember looking up at my colleague – he just had this shocked face on him – then I just remember pain in my back."
Evans recounted the physical sensation that followed: "It was just a massive shock vibrating through my whole body, a thud on my back. It just spread throughout my whole body, down to my legs. I felt frozen." She continued: "I was stunned to begin with. I didn't know what it was. I remember looking around and seeing the male with the sledgehammer behind me."
Describing her racing thoughts in that instant, the sergeant told the court: "I can remember a million thoughts racing through my head. When I look back, it was almost like I was in a movie and everything happened really fast around me. My head's thinking my spine is shattered at this point."
Pc. Peter Adams, who witnessed the alleged attack, testified that he observed Corner deliver two blows to Evans's back with the tool. The colleague recounted to jurors: "I remember her screaming in pain, and she's fallen to the floor on her back."
Medical examination revealed extensive bruising across Evans' back, with X-ray imaging confirming a fracture to her lumbar spine, the court heard. The injury required her to remain on medical leave from frontline policing duties for approximately three months.
Pc. Aaron Buxton provided additional testimony about his own confrontation with the "blond male" who allegedly attacked Evans, stating the activist had swung a sledgehammer at him moments earlier while he restrained a different demonstrator on the ground. Buxton told jurors: "I was laid on my back with the male with brown hair on top of me. The male with blond hair turned and walked back towards us. He has swung the sledgehammer multiple times towards me." He added: "I don't know how many times he swung it, because in the moment I was scared. I believe it made contact with my right calf and my work radio. I had quite considerable pain down that area of my leg following it. Also I had slight bruising come up."
Police apprehended all six defendants at the Elbit Systems manufacturing plant following the alleged break-in and assaults. The court was informed that Elbit Systems UK produces defense technology equipment as a UK-registered entity, with its parent corporation headquartered in Israel.
