Legal research · Burnley · England and Wales

Barclays5

On 21 August 2026, the judge ruled out terrorist-connection sentencing in the Barclays5 case. The earlier reporting is retained below as a historical record.

Case update · 21 August 2026

Judge rules out terrorist-connection sentencing

On 21 August 2026, HHJ Altham at Preston Crown Court ruled that section 69 of the Sentencing Act 2020 did not apply to the Barclays5 case.

The judge found that the damage, although significant, did not meet the high threshold of serious damage in the statutory definition of terrorism (ruling, paragraphs 45–50 and 56).

This was a decision about sentencing, not an acquittal of criminal damage. The judge expressly limited the decision to these facts; it does not rule out terrorist-connection findings in other cases (paragraph 51).

The July headlines and commentary below describe a sentencing proposal that the court subsequently rejected. This update confirms the August ruling only; later sentencing and appeal outcomes have not been verified here.

R v O’Hagan and others — ruling on section 69 (PDF)
Preston Crown Court; copy hosted by SolicitorNews
Case report from counsel’s chambers
Garden Court Chambers; counsel acted for one defendant

Ruling checked 2026-10-17 · original dossier retained below

Original dossier · July 2026

The following narrative and source annotations are the original author’s research and commentary. Publisher labels such as “Campaign” or “Partisan” are the author’s descriptions, not independent ratings. Allegations, reported verdicts and opinions must be distinguished and checked against the primary record.

Five defendants — Brendon O’Hagan and Mohammed Malik, both 28; Amanda Kelly and Hmeera Atiqnisar, both 31; and Alma Yaniv, 70 — convicted of criminal damage at Preston Crown Court over an August 2024 action at a Barclays branch in Burnley. The CPS applied for a “terrorist connection” finding only after the trial had concluded.

Activists Who Spray-Painted Barclays Set to Be Sentenced as Terrorists Novara Media · 27 July 2026 Left novaramedia.com/2026/07/27/activists-who-spray-painted-barclays-set-to-be-sentenced-as-terrorists/
Five protesters convicted of criminal damage face sentencing as terrorists Middle East Eye · 27 July 2026 middleeasteye.net/news/five-protesters-convicted-criminal-damage-face-sentencing-terrorists
Five more Palestine activists could be sentenced as terrorists Declassified UK · 27 July 2026 declassifieduk.org/five-more-palestine-activists-could-be-sentenced-as-terrorists/ Has the court-filing detail that the CPS applied only after the trial ended. Interview with Atiqnisar.
Judge moves to sentence Barclays spray painters as terrorists despite no terror charges Free the Filton 25 · campaign site Campaign filtonactionists.com/judge-moves-to-sentence-barclays-spray-painters-as-terrorists-despite-no-terror-charges/ Fullest account of the sequence, including the judge circulating Justice Johnson’s Filton ruling to defence counsel. Partisan — corroborate before relying on it.
PA wire copy, syndicated Press Association via Yahoo Agency ca.news.yahoo.com/palestine-action-activists-ransacked-barclays-073012794.html The neutral agency version most outlets ran. Best single citation for the bare facts.
Palestine Action Barclays bank — sentenced as terrorists The Jewish Chronicle Hostile thejc.com/news/uk/palestine-action-barclays-bank-sentenced-terrorists-rga3642x Unsympathetic to the defendants and confirms the same underlying facts. Valuable for exactly that reason.

Provenance & corrections

Imported from the Planetary Council Barclays5 repository, pinned to commit 9831cfd. The original material remains available for comparison:

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Source dossier: 2026-07-28 · Migrated: 2026-10-17 (not a verification date)
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