Jury discharged in Pro-Palestine protest trial

Julian Gao, Ruby Hamill, Daniel Jones and Sayed Shah are all on trial at Bradford Crown Court

The jury in the trial of four pro-Palestine protesters accused of causing nearly £600,000 of damage to a factory has been discharged.

Julian Gao, Ruby Hamill, Daniel Jones and Sayed Shah were arrested after staging a protest at the Teledyne factory in Shipley, which specialises in supplying electronics to the aerospace and defence sectors.

Following the incident all four were charged with causing criminal damage and having articles with intent to destroy or damage property.

However, after a trial at Bradford Crown Court the jury failed to reach verdicts on any of the charges. All four defendants will face a re-trial at the same court in February 2026.

At the start of the trial the jury was shown CCTV footage of the group using an angle-grinder to cut through a security fence in the early hours of 2 April.

The group was filmed carrying items including sledgehammers, crowbars, ladders and flags and staging a protest on the roof of the premises.

The three men and a woman, who were wearing red boiler suits, were then captured on drone footage smashing roof tiles and windows.

When police officers arrived they challenged the group on the roof and were told they were protesting at the site due to the war in Gaza, the court heard.

The protest on 2 April at Teledyne in Shipley lasted 14 hours, prosecutors told the jury

Prosecutor Gerald Hendron told the court the total damage caused externally and internally to the premises had been £571,383.

Teledyne Space and Defence Ltd supplies the defence and aerospace industry.

Mr Hendron said components were used in the manufacture of weapons used by the British Army and NATO, as well as weapons purchased by other countries such as Ukraine and Israel.

On Friday, after about seven hours of deliberation over two days, Judge Sophie McKone asked the jury if they would be able to reach verdicts if they were given more time.

When the forewoman indicated they would not, the judge thanked them for their attention during the trial and formally discharged them.

Mr Gao, 20, of Dalton Ellis Hall, Manchester, Mr Shah, 51, of Reedley Road, Burnley, Mr Jones, 30, of Rossett Road, Crosby, and 20-year-old Ms Hamill, of Emu Road, London, have all been bailed ahead of their next appearance.

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