UK activists cleared of criminal damage in bid to 'disarm' Saudi-bound jets

Two anti-war activists have been cleared of charges of criminal damage for entering a BAE arms factory with the intention of "disarming" Typhoon jets bound for Saudi Arabia. 

Sam Walton, a Quaker activist, and Daniel Woodhouse, a Methodist minister, were arrested after breaking into a BAE Systems airbase in Warton, Lancashire, in late January. 

They faced Burnley magistrates' court on Wednesday and were found not guilty of criminal damage.

In his judgment, District Judge James Clarke praised the men and said: "They were impressive and eloquent men who held strong views about what they were doing and what wanted to achieve. 

"They impressed me as being natural in their delivery and honest throughout their evidence... heard about their belief of BAE’s role in the supply of aircraft to Saudi Arabia."

He added: "However, having considered in full the defence under section five of the Criminal Damage Act 1971, I find the defendants not guilty.”

The campaigners broke in via a fence on the perimeter of the site, and got within five feet of the warplanes before being stopped by BAE security. The activists said they had intended to destroy equipment in the nose section of the planes with a hammer and a crowbar.

Speaking after the judgment, Walton told Middle East Eye that the verdict was a condemnation of BAE Systems and Britain's arms sales to Saudi Arabia. 

"The judge said that we are not guilty - a verdict which is also a condemnation of BAE and the UK's arms exports policy to Saudi Arabia," he said. 

"This judgment tells BAE and the UK... that it is complicit in war crimes in Yemen and that the UK must stop arming Saudi Arabia immediately."

This judgment tells BAE and the UK... that it is complicit in war crimes in Yemen

- Sam Walton, Quaker activist

The base which Walton and Woodhouse broke into housed 13 fighter jets scheduled to be sent to Saudi Arabia. 

The verdict comes a day after the British defence secretary, Michael Fallon, told a parliamentary committee that criticism from MPs and activists on arms sales to Saudi Arabia was "not helpful" for UK arms sales to the Gulf kingdom.

During a session where Fallon gave evidence to the House of Commons defence committee, Fallon said: "I have to repeat, sadly, to this committee, that obviously, other criticism of Saudi Arabia in this parliament is not helpful... I'll leave it there."

Walton told MEE that Fallon's comments made him more determined to campaign against Britain's arms sales to Saudi and the Gulf kingdom's military campaign in Yemen.

The campaign, which began in March 2015, has seen Saudi-led forces accused of war crimes by human rights groups and the widespread destruction of infrastructure and an economic siege of rebel-held areas, leaving millions facing malnutrition and disease.

"This has been a huge amount of work and now I'm going to celebrate with our supporters, but Michael Fallon said yesterday that people need to stop criticising KSA because it stops him selling weapons," he said.

British sales of military equipment to Saudi Arabia hit more than $1.4bn so far in 2017 and more than $5bn since the war began. UK forces also provide logistical support to the Saudi-led coalition.

BAE did not respond to MEE's request for comment at the time of writing. 

Researchers from London's Queen Mary University said that Britain played a "crucial role" helping create the conditions that lead to the spread of cholera in Yemen, which has killed more than 2,000 and affected three-quarters of a million people.