Six deny wrongdoing over Leicestershire drone factory break-in

Six people have denied wrongdoing after allegedly breaking into a drone factory owned by defence company Elbit Systems UK.

They denied one count of burglary and one count of damaging property valued at more than £5,000 at UAV Tactical Systems in Braunstone, Leicestershire, on 24 April.

Seirol Davies, 31, of Godwin Road, Margate, Hal Hockney, 27, of Alkham Road, Hackney, London, Peter Jones, 41, of Alderfen Way, Hoveton, Norfolk, and Megan Kennard, 25, of Fircroft Avenue, Lancing, West Sussex, appeared at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.

Rhae Rivers, 39, of Godwin Road, Margate, and Michael Sackur, 28, of Maltings Place in Reading, appeared via separate video-links from prison.

In May a hearing at the Old Bailey in London was told the company was targeted because of its “perceived links to Elbit Systems UK and supply of arms and component parts used by Israel in attacks on Palestine”.

A video posted on social media afterwards claimed a group called People Against Genocide was responsible for the damage, the same hearing was told.

At Friday’s hearing, Judge Timothy Spencer KC said he would allow six weeks for the trial, which is set for 17 May at Leicester Crown Court.

Hockney, Jones and Kennard were allowed to leave court on conditional bail, while Davies, Rivers and Sackur were told they must stay in custody.