By Anne Cadwallader

BELFAST, June 11 (Reuters) - A jury in Northern Ireland on Wednesday acquitted five of six men who defended a 2006 break-in at U.S. defence contractor Raytheon <RTN.N> on the grounds they were trying to prevent war crimes.

The six defendants entered the company's office in the British province in August 2006 and threw computers and files out of the windows, causing 20,000 pounds ($39,210) in damage at the maker of Tomahawk and Patriot missiles.

The men, who had been charged with criminal damage and affray, were cleared on Wednesday by a jury on all counts apart from a sixth defendant, Eamon McCann, who was found guilty of taking computer discs and given a 12 month suspended sentence.

The defence argued their action was taken to prevent war crimes in Lebanon by Israeli Defence Forces using Raytheon missile systems and to save civilian lives during Israel's 34-day war with Hezbollah guerrillas.

"They believed Raytheon was aiding and abetting the commission of war crimes, having seen how Raytheon's lethal technology was being used to destroy the homes and lives of innocents in Lebanon," said Richard Harvey, lead counsel for one of the defendants. Raytheon has said its operations in the British province of Northern Ireland are limited to software development for civil aviation systems and not the manufacture of weapons.

The prosecution argued the men had a right to legitimate protest, but had "engaged in an orgy of wanton destruction".

(Writing by Andras Gergely)

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