Key facts
- William Plastow, 35, is on trial for charges related to a Palestine Action raid on an Elbit Systems factory.
- Plastow stated he missed the last year of his mother's life while held on remand.
- He was granted bail for his mother's final four days.
- Plastow was acquitted of violent disorder but still faces criminal damage charges.
- He admits purchasing equipment for Palestine Action but denies knowledge of its specific use in the raid.
William Plastow, 35, a defendant accused of involvement in a Palestine Action raid on an Elbit Systems factory, told a court he missed the last year of his mother's life due to being held on remand. He was arrested on August 9, 2024, and held for 18 months before being granted bail on compassionate grounds to spend his mother's final four days at her bedside.
Plastow is one of eight defendants facing charges related to the August 2024 raid on the factory in Filton, near Bristol. The defendants are accused of coordinating the break-in through reconnaissance and equipment purchase, but not of entering the premises. Last week, Plastow was acquitted of violent disorder by Judge Patrick Field due to insufficient evidence, though he still faces criminal damage charges.
He admits purchasing equipment for Palestine Action but claims he did not know it was intended for the raid and was unaware of the site's existence at the time. Plastow is the only defendant not alleged to have travelled to Bristol, remaining in Manchester. He described his arrest by counter-terrorism police as being held in a windowless room with lights on constantly, likening it to being 'Hannibal Lecter'. He stated this was the last day he saw his mother before she was on her deathbed.
Plastow first learned of the Filton action via a Palestine Action tweet on August 6, which described the dismantling of machinery as an intervention in Elbit's 'genocidal supply chain'. He is the grandson of Julius Nyerere, Tanzania's first president. Plastow explained his increased awareness of the conflict in Gaza following October 7, 2023, and his feeling that conventional actions like marches and petitions were futile.
He recalled first hearing of Palestine Action in connection with a rooftop occupation and researched the group, believing they had closed factories supplying 'genocidal machinery'. He compared the situation to 'Zyklon gas being made 10 minutes up the road' during the Holocaust. After attending a Palestine Action training session, he indicated willingness for low-level involvement, such as a lock-on. In April 2024, he was convicted of criminal damage for driving a vehicle into a bollard and locking himself to the steering wheel at an Elbit drone factory in Leicester.
Plastow described Palestine Action as 'chaotic' and 'loosely connected', operating on a 'need to know basis' with little information provided. He was later contacted by co-defendant Sean Middlebrough to purchase items like rucksacks and protective gear without being told their purpose. Plastow was reimbursed by Middlebrough, and Charlotte Head later collected the items from his home in a prison van, an arrival that surprised and unhappy him. He stated he did not know what was going on and that it was clear he was not 'need to know'.