Four people accused of plotting to damage two Voyager aircraft at RAF Brize Norton face trial in 2027 following an alleged demonstration by Palestine Action members. The incident at the Oxfordshire airbase on June 20 caused approximately £7 million worth of damage and has been classified as having a "terrorist connection".
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. All four defendants had allegedly been heavily involved in Palestine Action at the time of the incident.
Government bans Palestine Action
The charges coincided with MPs backing the Government's decision to ban Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. The direct action group was designated as a proscribed organisation on the same day the defendants were formally charged.
The defendants appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday for a hearing to establish the case timetable, with heightened security measures in place outside the central London court. The two female defendants appeared via video-link from Bronzefield jail whilst the two male defendants sat in the dock.
Six-week trial planned
Prosecutor Jonathan Polnay KC told the packed public gallery that the case involved "criminal damage to two aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in the early hours of June 20 which caused extensive damage to the aircraft". He confirmed the case was being heard in the terrorism list before Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb due to its alleged terrorist connection.
A provisional trial fixture of six to eight weeks has been scheduled from January 18, 2027. Mr Polnay acknowledged this was "obviously a considerable distance away" and said the trial length would depend on whether defendants accepted involvement in the "physical acts undoubtedly taken".
Judge reviews lengthy wait
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb expressed concern about the 2027 trial date, describing it as an "inordinately long time" for the four young people to wait in custody. She emphasised that identifying the real issues in the case quickly would benefit 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 scheduled for January 16 next year. Gardiner-Gibson and Cink, both of no fixed address, along with Jeronymides-Norie of Barnet, north London, and Chiaramello of Brent, north London, were remanded into custody.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
