PC Buxton's BWV is then played, which appears to show Mr Devlin on the floor, and security guard Mr Volante moving towards him with a sledgehammer as he gets up, then hitting Jordan in the face. Sam thinks he tried to hit the handle of that hammer to knock it away. The clip continues with Sam walking away holding his eyes (this was after being PAVA-sprayed by PC Buxton).
He remembers his whole face was burning like 'a widespread nettle sting', and he couldn't see anything. He didn't know who had sprayed him, as he was still focussing on the handle of the sledgehammer. Having seen Mr Devlin attacked, he tried to open his eyes because people were in danger from whom he thought were more security who had arrived, and he also wanted if possible to carry on damaging stuff.
The next clip, showing Sam at first turning away, is played. Volante has gone away to scream at Ms Head and Ms Rajwani and PC Buxton is dealing with Mr Devlin. Sam says he could probably see a bit as he turned back, but he has difficulty remembering what happened next. This is the point at which Buxton alleges Sam hit his leg with the sledgehammer. Sam says he was in a panic and out of his depth, with his friends apparently in real danger. He heard Ms Kamio screaming.
The clip is played where PC Buxton is engaged with Ms Kamio, and she is screaming 'you're fucking hurting me'. Sam says that he now knows what was happening from having seen the clips, but he really can't say he remembered much - it was mostly a blur - there were alarms and sirens and shouting, and a strong smell.
Asked why he swung the sledgehammer at APS Evans, he said he didn't know whether it was Leona or Zoe but someone was screaming loudly, and still didn't realise there were police officers there. It sounded like someone was causing a lot of pain and he just felt he had to help somehow.
Mr Wainwright pointed out that the prosecution's case is that Sam wanted to cause serious injury. Sam said he was so overwhelmed in the situation he was not thinking clearly. The footage appears to show a second swing which might have made contact, but it's not very clear, and Sam has no memory of this. He said he wouldn't have aimed at someone's spine, and it certainly would not have been his intention to do this when he entered the factory. He didn't remember his reported comment at the time that 'he was trying to protect her', but agreed that it was what he had been trying to do.
Asked if he could remember being tasered, he only recalled that the police told him later they'd tried to - it seems the barbs didn't engage properly with him.
The next clip showed Sam with eyes closed, and his arm over his face. He says the pain from the PAVA kept coming back, but he doesn't remember how much he could see. PC Buxton alleges Sam was trying to get something out of his pocket, and he was failing to comply with getting rear handcuffed. Sam said he had finally realised at this point these were police, not security.
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Re: The Filton Palestine Action trial - reports from week 4
So he'd just been pepper sprayed in the face, was confused and disoriented, there was chaotic violence on all sides and one of his comrades was screaming with pain on the floor when he (allegedly) injured the policewoman with a sledgehammer. Sounds like mitigating circumstances to me. And that's not the only way her spine could have been injured... But trial by media and dishonest behaviour by police & prosecution will likely ensure he gets a heavy sentence no matter what else comes out.
Thanks for posting, an interesting story to keep tabs on.
on December 9, 2025, 6:58 am