Pro-Palestine protesters who damaged factory over alleged Israel links forced to do unpaid work

Hollie Mildenhall, 25, Georgia Coote, 28, and Summer Oxlade, 29, must each pay £600 in compensation after causing nearly £7,500 worth of damage during a protest at Pearson Engineering in February 2025.

Newcastle Crown Court imposed 12-month community orders on all three defendants.

Oxlade was directed to complete 100 hours of unpaid work, whilst Mildenhall and Coote were each directed to complete 80 hours.

The jury rejected the women's argument that their actions were lawful because they aimed to prevent weapons from reaching Palestine.

The trio arrived at the Scotswood Road premises wearing red overalls at approximately 05:20 GMT on February 18, 2025, accompanied by two men with links to Palestine Action who intimidated security staff before fleeing.

Mildenhall and Coote scaled the gatehouse roof whilst Oxlade blocked the entrance by tipping rubble from a flatbed lorry, subsequently attempting to chain herself to the vehicle.

Oxlade was directed to complete 100 hours of unpaid work, whilst Mildenhall and Coote were each directed to complete 80 hours.

The jury rejected the women's argument that their actions were lawful because they aimed to prevent weapons from reaching Palestine.

The trio arrived at the Scotswood Road premises wearing red overalls at approximately 05:20am on February 18, 2025, accompanied by two men with links to Palestine Action who intimidated security staff before fleeing.

Mildenhall and Coote scaled the gatehouse roof whilst Oxlade blocked the entrance by tipping rubble from a flatbed lorry, subsequently attempting to chain herself to the vehicle.

The protesters discharged red paint from fire extinguishers and used a slingshot to shatter windows.

They also destroyed a sign at the site.

The rooftop occupation lasted until around 1:40pm, preventing day shift employees from accessing their workplace for the entire morning.

Pearson Engineering is owned by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, an Israeli state-controlled weapons manufacturer, the court heard.

However, a company representative testified that no items produced at the Tyneside facility had been supplied to Israel.

Prosecutor Michael Bunch told the court the women's stated objective was to "cause maximum disruption to production" based on their "mistaken" belief that military equipment destined for Israeli forces in Gaza was being manufactured there.

Beyond the structural damage, two security guards had their coats ruined during the incident, the prosecution noted.

None of the defendants had prior convictions, though Oxlade had received a caution for spray-painting a statue during a 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstration.

One security guard described the incident as "scary" and "like a terrorist attack," characterising the intruders as "cold and calculating."

Defence barristers argued their clients held "legitimate concerns" about the factory's operations and urged the judge against ordering compensation, noting Pearson Engineering was a "multimillion-pound company" for whom the damage costs were "incidental."

Coote's representative described her as a principled individual who supported refugees and disadvantaged communities.

Judge Edward Bindloss acknowledged all three were motivated by "conscience" and "genuinely believed" their disruption would halt a "genocide."

He emphasised it had been a "non-violent protest" with no violence used or threatened.

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