A man who admitted treason after gaining entry to the grounds of Windsor Castle armed with a crossbow has been jailed for nine years, following an investigation by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.
Jaswant Singh Chail, 21 (17.01.02), from Southampton, was arrested by officers within the Windsor Castle footprint on 25 December 2021.
He was carrying a loaded crossbow, and wearing black clothing and a metal mask when he told officers he was there to kill Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who was in a private residence on the castle’s grounds at the time.
Chail pleaded guilty to a Treason Act offence and other charges relating to the incident at an earlier court appearance.
He was sentenced on Thursday, 5 October, at the Old Bailey to a nine-year hybrid order, meaning he will serve part of his sentence in a mental health facility and the remainder in prison. He will then remain on licence for a further five years after his release.
Commander Dominic Murphy, who leads the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “Chail had been planning his actions for several months, and up until shortly before his arrest, his intent to cause serious harm to or kill the Queen was clear.
“The professionalism, skill and bravery that the officers demonstrated as they confronted a masked man armed with a crossbow was exemplary. The fact that nobody came to any harm was down to the way they handled the situation. This could have easily ended up with somebody getting seriously injured, or worse.
“An extremely thorough investigation was carried out after Chail’s arrest and the vast amount of evidence gathered by detectives has led to his conviction for these very serious offences.
“Day in, day out, officers from our Royalty and Parliamentary Protection Command carry out their duties with great dedication and professionalism, keeping the individuals and locations they protect safe from a whole host of potential threats and risks.”
Two officers on duty within Windsor Castle saw Chail coming towards them at around 08:10hrs on 25 December 2021.
Chail said he was there to kill Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who was on the castle’s grounds at the time.
One of the officers drew their Taser, and ordered Chail to put down the crossbow. He did, and was then arrested. He was later detained under the Mental Health Act.
Due to the nature of the incident, the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command led the investigation.
Detectives trawled through CCTV, searched addresses, analysed online activity and made other enquiries. They found that Chail had travelled to Windsor on 23 December 2021.
He had also 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, and his plan to kill the Queen was driven by his desire to target a symbol of the empire – the Monarchy.
Officers also discovered that prior to devising the plan, Chail had unsuccessfully applied to join the Armed Forces, as a means of potentially getting access to the Royal Family in the future.
Chail was charged on 2 August 2022. He pleaded guilty to the following offences at the Old Bailey on Friday, 3 February:
– An offence under section 2 of the Treason Act, 1842;
– Threats to kill (contrary to section 16 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861);
– Possession of an offensive weapon (contrary to section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953).
