British Sikh armed intruder inspired by Star Wars' to make crossbow threat to late Queen

A British Sikh crossbow-armed intruder who has admitted to committing treason after telling royal guards on Christmas Day 2021 that he was there to kill Queen Elizabeth II was inspired by Star Wars', a court hearing in London was told on Wednesday. Jaswant Singh Chail, 21, who identified himself as an Indian Sikh and wanted to assassinate the late monarch as revenge for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar in a social media video that emerged soon after his arrest, is facing a two-day sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey court in London.

The Queen, who passed away in September last year, was in her private apartments at Windsor Castle at the time of Chail's intrusion on the morning of December 25, 2021. According to court reports, Justice Nicholas Hilliard is hearing from experts on whether Chail was suffering from a mental disorder by reason of psychosis or autism spectrum disorder at the time of the offending.

"The defendant's key motive was to create a new empire by destroying the remnants of the British Empire in the UK and the focal point of that became the removal of a figurehead of the royal family," said prosecutor Alison Morgan.

"His thinking was informed partly 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 attracted to the notoriety that would accrue in the event of the completion of his 'mission'," she said. Chail was born in Winchester, south-east England, to a family of Indian heritage and lived with his parents, twin sister and older brother in the village of North Baddesley, Hampshire. The court was told he applied for positions within the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP), the British Army, the Royal Marines, the Royal Navy, and the Grenadier Guards in an effort to get close to the royal family.

Earlier this year, Chail admitted to an offence under the UK's Treason Act at the same court and is expected to be sentenced on Thursday. "This was an extremely serious incident, but one which the patrolling officers who apprehended Chail managed with great composure and professionalism, said Commander Richard Smith, head of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command which led the investigation at the time.

They showed tremendous bravery to confront a masked man who was armed with a loaded crossbow, and then detain him without anyone coming to harm. Our Royalty and Specialist Protection Command works with the Royal Household and local police forces at various Royal Residences across the country to ensure those living, working or visiting are kept safe, he said.

The 21-year-old pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 2 of the Treason Act, 1842, an offence of threats to kill contrary to Section 16 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, and an offence of possession of an offensive weapon contrary to Section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953.  He had made a video of himself stating his desire to harm the late Queen, which he sent to a group of contacts shortly before he was arrested. Further enquiries into Chail uncovered further evidence of his planning and motives. Evidence recovered by officers showed that he harboured ill-feeling towards the British empire for its past treatment of Indian people, a Met Police statement revealed earlier.

The Queen was in her private apartments at Windsor Castle at the time of Chail's intrusion in 2021. Two officers saw the intruder within the grounds of the Castle and one approached him. He was wearing black clothing and a handmade metal mask and said to the officers he was there to kill Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Chail was carrying a crossbow loaded with a bolt, and the officers drew their Taser and arrested him.

The social media video which emerged later showed a masked man identifying himself as Indian Sikh Jaswant Singh Chail and saying he wanted to assassinate the Queen as revenge for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar in 1919. Hundreds of people were killed by British troops on Baisakhi Day on April 13, 1919, as they fired indiscriminately on an unarmed gathering of thousands who had assembled in Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab. Under the 1842 Treason Act, it is an offence to assault the British Sovereign or have a firearm or offensive weapon in their presence with intent to injure or alarm them or to cause a breach of peace.