A key member of Palestine Action, Sean Middlebrough, has been convicted in his absence for criminal damage relating to a break-in at a British defence firm in Bristol. The incident, which occurred in August 2024 at Elbit Systems, caused damage estimated at £1.2m.
Middlebrough, 33, absconded in October 2025 after being granted temporary bail to attend his brother's wedding. He was ordered to surrender to HMP Wandsworth on 24 October but did not appear, leading to a warrant for his arrest.
Prosecutors told the court that Middlebrough helped plan and organise the break-in, including providing £890 to fund the plot. His trial began this summer in his absence, and a jury convicted him of criminal damage by a majority of nine-to-one in August.
The reporting of Middlebrough's conviction was delayed due to a separate prosecution. Judge Patrick Field KC lifted the reporting restriction at a hearing on Monday morning. Middlebrough is the fifth Palestine Action supporter to be convicted over the attack, with two more trials of alleged participants expected.