Key facts
- Hannah Davidson, a defendant in a Palestine Action case, testified about her arrest and detention.
- Davidson described her arrest by counter-terrorism police as 'horrifying' and stated she and co-defendants suffer from PTSD.
- She is charged with violent disorder and criminal damage in connection with a raid on an Elbit Systems plant.
- Davidson acknowledged her perception of her detention duration was 'skewed' during cross-examination.
- She denied coordinating the raid, citing distress over the Gaza conflict and an autistic meltdown.
- Davidson stated she agreed to be a driver for the raid, anticipating criminal damage but not the detailed plan.
Hannah Davidson, a defendant accused in connection with a Palestine Action raid on an Elbit Systems factory, testified at the Old Bailey about her arrest and subsequent detention, describing the experience as 'horrifying' and causing 'chronic PTSD'. Davidson, along with seven co-defendants, faces charges of violent disorder and criminal damage under a 'joint enterprise' legal principle, meaning they are charged despite not allegedly entering the factory premises during the August 2024 incident.
Davidson recounted being arrested on August 7 from her Edinburgh home and transferred to a counter-terrorism unit in Newbury, where she felt she 'just disappeared' and was held for 'four to six days without any contact.' She initially told jurors she did not see a lawyer until the fourth day of detention. However, under cross-examination by prosecutor Deanna Heer, Davidson acknowledged her perception was 'skewed,' admitting she spoke to a lawyer 31.5 hours after her arrest. She denied deciding to give a 'no comment' interview to 'wait to see what the police would come up with,' stating she was having an 'autistic meltdown' and was not in a mental state to decide.
Davidson explained her motivations stemmed from distress over the ongoing conflict in Gaza, describing watching 'live-streamed genocide' and feeling 'completely helpless' after political efforts for a ceasefire failed. She attended a Palestine Action training day in April 2024 and later agreed to be involved 'behind the scenes' in actions, eventually taking on the role of a driver for the Filton raid. She admitted anticipating that the raid would involve causing criminal damage, stating, 'Yes, there was no secret about that.' Davidson also described feeling 'desperate, sad, angry, wanting to help' at the time.