File photo of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters
New Delhi: The Indian origin man, who pleaded guilty to an offence under the Treason Act and threatening to kill the monarch in a London court on Friday, sought to avenge the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Jaswant Singh Chail, 21, told in previous court hearings that he planned the attack as revenge for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre of Indians by British colonial troops, the AFP reported.
He, on Friday, the court on that he wanted to ‘injure’ Queen Elizabeth II after sneaking into Windsor Castle armed with a loaded crossbow on Christmas Day in 2021.
He was detained on the grounds of the royal residence while the late queen was there, pleaded guilty to three charges during a criminal court hearing.
They include a section of the 180-year-old Treason Act, admitting an “intent… to injure the person of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, or to alarm Her Majesty”.
He had also been charged with making a threat to kill the Queen and having a loaded crossbow, an offensive weapon, in a public place.
Chaild, allegedly told a protection officer when he was apprehended that he was “here to kill the Queen”.
He had sent out a video saying he would assassinate the monarch, who passed away peacefully on 8 September 2022 aged 96 after a year of failing health.
The unemployed former supermarket worker had been due to stand trial later this year over the incident at Windsor, west of London.
But appearing at the capital’s Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey, via video-link from high-security psychiatric hospital Broadmoor, he admitted all three charges.
He is now due to be sentenced at the same court on 31 March.
The incident happened as the Queen spent Christmas Day that year at Windsor Castle with her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, and his wife Camilla.
It is understood Chail had scaled the perimeter of the grounds with a nylon rope ladder some two hours before he was detained.
He was said to be wearing a hood and mask and was carrying a crossbow loaded with a bolt, with the safety catch off and ready to fire.
In the last such case, Briton Marcus Sarjeant was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in 1981 after pleading guilty to firing blank shots at the monarch when she was on parade.
With inputs from AFP
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