Police officer 'unable to dress after hammer attack'

Police officer Kate Evans suffered a fractured spine and large bruising

A police sergeant was left unable to drive, shower or dress herself after a Palestine Action activist allegedly hit her with a sledgehammer during a break-in at an Israeli defence firm's UK site, a trial has heard.

Six people are accused of using a prison van to break into Elbit Systems UK factory near Bristol armed with weapons and pyrotechnics in the early hours of August 6 last year.

Sgt Kate Evans told Woolwich Crown Court the injury left her with "severe pain". She was off work for three months.

Charlotte Head, 29, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, Fatema Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31, deny all charges of aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder.

'Massive shock'

Mr Corner denies a further charge of causing grievous bodily harm to Sgt Kate Evans.

Sgt Evans said she was attempting to place handcuffs on one of the female defendants at the scene when she felt a "thud" on her back.

"A massive shock vibrated through my whole body. I had no idea what it was until I turned around and saw a male with a sledgehammer behind me," she said.

"It was a shock, I felt frozen. It was almost like being in a movie, everything was going so fast.

"It just extended through my whole body down to my legs. I felt frozen.

"I was stunned to begin with. I didn't know what it was. I remember looking round and seeing the male with the sledgehammer behind me."

Sgt Evans said she recalled only one blow, but her colleague Peter Adams said he saw Mr Corner hit her on her back twice.

PC Adams told the court: "I remember her screaming in pain and she's fallen to the floor on her back."

'Considerable pain'

PC Aaron Buxton was also at the incident and recalled the "blonde male", who hit Ms Evans, swinging a sledgehammer at him moments before.

He told the jury: "I was laid on my back with the male with brown hair on top of me. The male with blonde hair turned and walked back towards us. He has swung the sledgehammer multiple times towards me.

"I don't know how many times he swung it because in the moment I was scared. I believe it made contact with my right calf and my work radio.

"I had quite considerable pain down that area of my leg following it. Also I had slight bruising come up."

The court heard that Sgt Evans was left with a large bruise on her back and an X-ray showed there was a fracture to her lumbar spine, leaving her unable to return to work for three months.

She described in a statement suffering "severe pain" in her back and legs, needing help with basic tasks like getting in the shower or into bed, and being unable to drive or sleep.

All six defendants were arrested at the factory.

The court heard that Elbit Systems UK manufactures defence technology equipment and is a UK-registered company whose parent company is based in Israel.

The trial is expected to last until January.