Judge Rules Barclays Five Not Terrorist, Faces Criminal Damage Sentences

Five activists convicted of vandalizing a Barclays bank branch in Burnley, England, will not be sentenced as terrorists, a judge ruled on Friday, August 21, 2026. The decision at Preston Crown Court means Brendon O'Hagan, Amanda Kelly, Hmeera Atiqnisar, Mohammed Malik, and Alma Yaniv will face standard criminal damage penalties when sentenced on September 4, 2026, rather than the harsher provisions of terrorism legislation.

The group, known as the "Barclays Five," were convicted in June 2026 of causing over £212,000 in damage during an attack on a bank branch in Burnley on August 5, 2024. They smashed windows and threw red paint at the building, actions they stated were a protest against Barclays' financial links to Elbit Systems, an Israeli arms manufacturer. The prosecution had sought to have the offenses treated as having a terrorist connection, arguing that the damage met the threshold under Section 69 of the Sentencing Act.

However, Judge Robert Altham, the Recorder of Preston, dismissed the application. He stated that while the damage was "undoubtedly significant," it did not amount to "serious damage" as required by the Terrorism Act. Altham noted that the nature and...