Pro-Palestinian protesters who caused £150,000 of damage to Edinburgh arms company building escape jail term

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Two protesters who caused more than £150,000 worth of damage to the building of an international weapons manufacturer during have escaped a jail sentence.

Silas Curtis and Ludovico Caminati cut holes in the perimeter fence that surrounds the Leonardo UK premises in Edinburgh before entering the grounds and throwing paint over vehicles.

Curtis, 29, and Caminati, 24, then scaled the building and broke a number of skylights, spray painted walls and set off a number of flares.

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Ludovico Caminati, left, and Silas Curtis, right, pictured outside Edinburgh Sheriff Court.Ludovico Caminati, left, and Silas Curtis, right, pictured outside Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
Ludovico Caminati, left, and Silas Curtis, right, pictured outside Edinburgh Sheriff Court. | Alexander Lawrie

The pair also smashed air conditioning units, light fittings and circuit breaker during their pro-Palestinian rooftop protest that started at around 5am on January 19, 2023.

The protestors were part of large group who had descended on the building at the city’s Crewe Toll area to protest over the company’s perceived part in the supplying of armour and weapons to the Israeli army.

The company is an Italian multinational firm specialising in aerospace, defence and security and has since been forced to install new security measures including new fencing and razor wire due to the protests.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told the large scale demonstration resulted in around 30 police officers attending the scene including armed response and a police helicopter. The court also heard ambulance and fire crews rushed to the area and the total cost of the damage caused to the building during the protest was £151, 399.

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Curtis and Caminati, both from Glasgow, pleaded guilty to the offences when they appeared at the capital’s sheriff court last year and returned to the dock for sentencing today, Tuesday, January 21.

The court heard both accused were first offenders and Curtis took the direct action after working with people who had been displaced from Palestine and had “decided to take further action”.

Stock photo of another pro-Palestinian demonstration at the Leonardo factory in Edinburgh last year.Stock photo of another pro-Palestinian demonstration at the Leonardo factory in Edinburgh last year.
Stock photo of another pro-Palestinian demonstration at the Leonardo factory in Edinburgh last year. | PA

Lawyer Kevin Connor, for Caminati, said his client was an Italian national, had studied International Politics at Stirling University and takes “full responsibility for his actions”.

Mr Connor said: “He got involved in a global justice society at the university which focused mainly on ecological and sustainability issues but also introduced him to the issue of Palestine.

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“He became frustrated ongoing injustices had been perpetrated on the people of Palestine with minimum coverage from mainstream media. He felt compelled to play his part in bringing that injustice to an end.”

Sheriff Ian Anderson told the pair they had committed “a very serious offence” and the protest had caused “a great deal of police and ambulance resources to be wasted”.

Sheriff Anderson said due to the pair having no previous convictions he had decided “an alternative to custody was appropriate notwithstanding the seriousness of the offence”.

Curtis and Caminati were sentenced to a community payback order with an unpaid work element of 270 hours to be completed with 12 months as a direct alternative to custody.They were also told they will be electrically tagged and must stay within their homes between 10.30pm and 6.30am for the next six months.

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The court heard third accused Madeline Norman, 30, who also previously pleaded guilty, was not in attendance as she is currently on remand for a separate allegation in England. Sentence on Norman, from Edinburgh, was deferred to await the outcome of her outstanding matter to later this year.

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