UK judge blocks terrorism sentencing for Barclays five

On 21 August 2026, Judge Robert Altham at Preston Crown Court ruled that five Palestine activists convicted of criminal damage to a Barclays branch in Burnley, Lancashire, in August 2024 will not be sentenced under terrorism legislation. The activists, Hmeera Atiqnisar, Amanda Kelly, Mohammed Malik, Brendon O Hagan, and Alma Yaniv, caused over £212,800 in damage by smashing windows and throwing red paint. They were convicted in June 2026. The judge determined that the damage, while significant, did not meet the high threshold of 'serious damage' required under Section 69 of the Sentencing Act, and that the property was not a sensitive site like an arms facility. The five will be sentenced on 4 September for criminal damage, facing shorter prison terms than if terrorism provisions applied. The possibility of terrorism sentencing emerged only after conviction, when trial judge Philip Parry raised the issue. The activists argued that Palestine was not proscribed at the time of the attack, and that terrorism sentencing should never have been an option. They accused the state of equating property damage with terrorism and of protecting the Israeli weapons industry. Palestine was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July 2025 under Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, criticised the proscription and welcomed the ruling. Barclays had divested its Elbit Systems shares in October 2024, stating it was not an investor.