Jaswant Singh Chail carried a crossbow loaded with an arrow. (File)
London:
A crossbow-wielding British Sikh invader who has admitted treason after telling royal guards on Christmas Day 2021 that he was there to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II was inspired by ‘Star Wars’, it was said on Wednesday during a hearing in London.
Jaswant Singh Chail, 21, who identified himself as an “Indian Sikh” and sought to “kill” the late monarch in revenge for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar in a social media video released shortly after his arrest, is facing with a two-day sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey court in London.
The Queen, who passed away last September, was in her private apartments at Windsor Castle when Chail broke in on the morning of December 25, 2021.
According to court reports, Judge Nicholas Hilliard is hearing from experts whether Jaswant Singh Chail was suffering from a mental disorder due to psychosis or an autism spectrum disorder at the time of the crime.
“The defendant’s main motive was to create a new empire by destroying the remnants of the British Empire in the United Kingdom and the center of gravity of that became the removal of a figurehead of the royal family,” prosecutor Alison Morgan said.
His thinking was shaped in part by the fantasy world of ‘Star Wars’ and the role of what he describes of the Sith Lords in shaping that new world. He was also drawn to the notoriety that would arise in the event of the completion of his ‘mission,'” she said.
Jaswant Singh Chail was born in Winchester, South East England to a family of Indian descent and lived with his parents, twin sister and elder brother in the village of North Baddesley, Hampshire.
The court was told he was applying for positions in the Ministry of Defense (MDP) police, the British Army, the Royal Marines, the Royal Navy and the Grenadier Guards in an attempt to get closer to the royal family.
Earlier this year, Jaswant Singh Chail admitted to the same court that he had committed an offense under the UK Treason Act and is expected to be sentenced on Thursday.
“This was an extremely serious incident, but one that the patrolling officers who arrested Chail handled with great composure and professionalism,” said Commander Richard Smith, head of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command who led the investigation at the time.
“They showed tremendous courage to confront a masked man armed with a loaded crossbow, and then detain him without anyone being in danger. Our Royalty and Specialist Protection Command are working with the Royal Household and local police in several royal residences across the country to ensure that those who live, work or visit are safe,” he said.
The 21-year-old pleaded guilty to a felony under section 2 of the Treason Act, 1842, an offense of threat of murder in violation of section 16 of the Offenses Against the Person Act 1861, and an offense of possession of an assault weapon in in violation of Section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953.” He had made a video expressing his desire to harm the late Queen, which he sent to a group of contacts shortly before he was arrested. Further investigation led to Chail further evidence shed light on his schemes and motives. Evidence recovered by officers showed that he harbored ill-feeling towards the British Empire for its past treatment of Indian people,” a Met Police statement previously revealed.
The Queen was in her private apartments at Windsor Castle at the time of Jaswant Singh’s intrusion into Chail in 2021. Two officers saw the intruder on the grounds of the castle and one approached him.
Wearing black clothing and a handmade metal mask, he told officers he was there to kill Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Jaswant Singh Chail carried a crossbow loaded with an arrow and the officers drew their taser and arrested him.
The social media video that emerged later showed a masked man who identified himself as Indian Sikh Jaswant Singh Chail and said he wanted to “kill” the queen in revenge for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar.
Hundreds of people were killed by British forces on Baisakhi Day on April 13, 1919, while firing indiscriminately at an unarmed gathering of thousands gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab.
Under the Treason Act of 1842 it is an offense to assault the British Sovereign or to have a firearm or assault weapon in their presence with intent to injure or alarm them or to disturb the peace.
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