Government contractor denied Palestine Action defendants food during trial, families say
A van allegedly used by Palestine Action to break into the Elbit Systems factory in Bristol
Katherine Hearst reports in Middle East Eye on 9 February 2026:
The private company charged with the care of Palestine Action defendants during a months-long trial at a UK court denied them food, families say. Serco, which operates Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (UK PECS) for the Ministry of Justice, handled the transfer and care of defendants during court hearings in a Palestine Action case at Woolwich Crown Court.
On Wednesday, after more than 36 hours of deliberations, jurors at the court acquitted the six defendants – Leona Kamio, 30, Samuel Corner, 23, Fatema Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22, Jordan Devlin, 31, and Charlotte Head, 29 – of charges of aggravated burglary.
Families reported that defendants were regularly going without food throughout the proceedings. They said they were awoken at 5am and suffered long delays while being transferred to court in a prison van. This meant they missed breakfast, and as the food provided in court was deemed to be of such a poor standard, many only ate on their return to prison at around 9pm.
Clare Hinchcliffe, the mother of defendant Rogers, said she noticed that her daughter was “starving” and “losing weight”, adding that it was difficult enough for her to follow proceedings due to being diagnosed with autistic spectrum condition and ADHD. Serco offered the defendants ready meals for lunch, but Rogers reported that a tuna pasta she was handed was “black and smelled repulsive”.
Hinchcliffe explained that Rogers has an autism-related eating disorder, preventing her from eating certain foods and first thing in the morning.