Palestine Action defendant ‘missed the last year’ of his mother’s life while behind bars

A defendant accused of involvement in a Palestine Action raid on an Israeli-owned arms factory said his mother died of terminal cancer while he was held on remand.

William Plastow, 35, is among eight defendants facing charges in connection with a raid on an Elbit Systems factory in Filton, near Bristol, in August 2024.

He told the court that he had been held on remand for 18 months following his arrest on 9 August 2024, but was granted bail on compassionate grounds to spend the last four days of his mother’s life at her bedside.

“I missed the last year of her life,” Plastow said.

Read more: Palestine Action defendant ‘missed the last year’ of his mother’s life while behind bars