Palestine activist's prison wait for trial 'outrageous'
The mother of a man charged in relation to an alleged break-in at the UK site of an Israel-based defence firm has said it is "outrageous" that he faces 21 months in prison before his case goes to trial.William Plastow, 34, is one of the 'Filton 18' accused of taking part in a Palestine Action protest at an Elbit Systems UK factory in Filton, Bristol last August.Mr Plastow is still awaiting his trial which is scheduled for April next year. His mum, Jane Plastow, believes it is the longest anyone has been held in prison pre-trial on protest-related charges.The Judicial Office told the BBC it could not comment on individual cases.
An earlier court hearing was told that during the incident a vehicle was driven into the doors of buildings and two responding police officers and a security guard were injured.Along with many of the rest of the group, Mr Plastow, from Manchester, is charged with criminal damage, violent disorder and aggravated burglary which he denies. The Home Office has previously told the BBC: "The CPS has decided that there is sufficient evidence to submit to the court that these offences have a terrorism connection."However, none of the 18 have been charged with terror offences.Elbit Systems UK is run separately to Israel-based Elbit Systems. It previously told the BBC that claims the facilities supply the Israeli military are "completely false".An Elbit Systems UK spokesperson told the BBC it will not comment on an ongoing legal process."I think [for Mr Plastow] there's a great sense of helplessness and hopelessness," Ms Plastow said."There have been lots of people locked up as political prisoners in Britain recently, there is Palestine Action and Just Stop Oil - but nobody has been locked up longer than my son and some of his comrades."
'Gross overreach'
Ms Plastow said her son applied for bail, promising the judge that he would stay with his mother and wear an electronic tag."We had discussed the most onerous terms, it basically amounted to house arrest," Ms Plastow said.She said she offered to pay £50,000, from a recent inheritance, but he was denied bail."My son has never been violent. It is a gross overreach," Ms Plastow added."The idea that at the moment it looks like he will be locked up for 21 months is outrageous."
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