Crown Court venue in London handling criminal trials on Belmarsh Way, Thamesmead
A series of trials and court filings have laid out allegations that Iranian-backed groups have recruited individuals in Europe to target journalists connected to Iran International and other outlets. The trials describe plans to carry out violence for money, with suspects found in the UK possessing weapons and mounting surveillance operations.
Two men have been found guilty of wounding with intent in a stabbing attack on Iran International presenter Pouria Zeraati in Wimbledon, London. Prosecutors say the assault was aimed at silencing a journalist and was carried out with state backing, though Tehran denies involvement. Sentencing is set for July 3.
Palestine Action activists convicted of criminal damage at Elbit Systems UK facility in Bristol are facing potential terrorism-tagged sentences. A judge has found a terrorist connection, triggering harsher penalties and lifetime monitoring for the four defendants, with supporters and critics voicing strong opinions ahead of further legal action.
The Court of Appeal has ruled that the home secretary lawfully proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, reversing a High Court judgment. The ruling preserves a ban that criminalises membership or support and has already prompted thousands of arrests and fresh police action at protests outside the Royal Courts of Justice.
A 16-year-old boy in Weston-super-Mare has been cleared of murder and manslaughter in the December 2025 stabbing of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe. The jury found the act was not intentional, though the case highlights concerns about knife crime and its impact on families and communities.
Kian Bateman has been given a life sentence after fatally striking Shelley Davies and seriously injuring her partner outside a Cardiff club. He was high on nitrous oxide and did not see Davies in the road before accelerating towards Bratcher. The judge has ordered at least 17 years in prison and imposed driving bans.
Two teenagers, Thalha Jubair and Owen Flowers, have been jailed for five years and six months for a 2024 cyber-attack on Transport for London that disrupted services, breached millions of records, and forced 27,000 staff to reset passwords in person.
A 20-year-old prisoner who absconded from hospital transfer remains at large. GMP warns the public not to approach him as officers search across multiple localities following the transfer to North Manchester Hospital for treatment.
Pro-Palestine Action supporters have gathered outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court as trials and potential terrorist connections draw attention to UK counter-terrorism laws. Activists face sentencing after convictions for 2024 Barclays protest damage; prosecutors are weighing terrorist connections amid broader political crackdowns.
Five Palestine Action activists convicted of damage to a Barclays branch in Burnley in August 2024 are not facing terrorist sentencing provisions. Preston Crown Court has ruled that the offence does not meet the Terrorism Act threshold and the activists will be sentenced on 4 September 2026. The case highlights tension between protest actions and anti-terror laws as authorities decide how to classify direct-action acts.