NHS wellbeing worker on trial for attack on arms factory in Palestine Action protest

An NHS mental health worker is facing trial for allegedly causing criminal damage during a protest at a Kent arms factory in 2023.

Joe Ballesteros, 30, a trainee psychological wellbeing practitioner at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, is accused of vandalising Instro Precision Ltd’s facility on November 6, 2023, along with two other activists from the radical protest group Palestine Action.

Ballesteros, from Muswell Hill, North London, describes himself as an "NHS worker who has taken direct action in support of Palestine" and has been publicly fundraising for his legal fees.

He was charged last June along with Laura Sharples, 26, from Eastleigh, and Eleanor (El) Herndlhofer, 29, from Totnes, Devon. The trio are set to appear at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on April 14.

Herndlhofer works for a National Lottery-funded environmental group, Transition Together, while Ballesteros supports patients with anxiety and depression at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, which serves 2.5 million people.

The protest saw activists block two entrances to the factory, using lock-on devices to chain themselves together. Red paint was sprayed across the entrance to symbolise “Palestinian blood spilt by Elbit’s weaponry,” according to Palestine Action.

Protesters also unfurled banners reading “Join the Resistance” and displayed an image of an activist in overalls wielding what appeared to be a sledgehammer.

Ballesteros has so far raised £2,339 of a £2,500 target to cover his costs. On his fundraising page, he wrote: “Hi, I'm Joe, and in November 2023, I took direct action for Palestine against Instro Precision Ltd at their weapons factory in Kent.”

Palestine Action has staged a series of disruptive protests targeting arms manufacturers which they say are linked to Israel. Last August, five of its activists were jailed for a combined five years and two months after causing more than £1 million in damage to Thales UK, an arms factory in Scotland.

The group was also blamed for another £1 million in damages at Elbit Systems’ Bristol site, where activists allegedly smashed their way into buildings, set off fireworks and flares, and destroyed equipment. Police later recovered sledgehammers, axes, whips, and homemade weapons.

Lord Walney, the government’s outgoing adviser on political violence and ex-Labour MP, has warned of the dangers posed by Palestine Action. He called for the group to be banned from meeting and for restrictions on its fundraising activities.

“Activists considering breaking the law to get their way need to see there will be grave consequences,” he told the JC last year.

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust declined to comment on the case but said it would take “appropriate action” following the court’s decision.

Kent Police confirmed: “Jose Ballesteros, 30, of Queens Avenue, London, was charged on 7 June 2024 with causing criminal damage on 6 November 2023. Laura Sharples, 26, of Ashdown Close, Eastleigh, and 29-year-old Eleanor Herndlhofer, of Broom Park, Totnes, Devon, were also each charged with the same offence. They are due to appear for trial at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on 14 April.”

The JC has approached Ballesteros, the National Lottery and Transition Together for comment.