Queen Elizabeth Il murder planner at Windsor Castle hit with jail sentence

Queen Elizabeth Il’s assassination planner, who planned the murder during a Christmas visit to Windsor Castle, has been sentenced to a term of imprisonment.

The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales handed down a hybrid order to Jaswant Singh Chail on October 5, 2023.

As per the Metropolitan Police statement, the 21-year-old resident of Southampton will serve a nine-year sentence, with a portion of it spent in a mental health facility and the rest in prison. Following his release, he will be under supervision for five years.

Commander Dominic Murphy of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said in the statement, “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.”

He added in the statement, “The professionalism, skill and bravery that the officers demonstrated as they confronted a masked man armed with a crossbow was exemplary.”

The commander went on to say, “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,” he continued.

Murphy added, “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.”

On December 25, 2021, Chail was apprehended on the Windsor Castle grounds, where Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family, including the now-King Charles and Queen Camilla, were celebrating. 

The intruder was attired in a metal mask and black clothing, and he carried a loaded crossbow. It is believed that he gained access to the premises by climbing the castle's ancient walls using a rope ladder, as reported by CNN.

Reportedly, when confronted by officers, he declared, “I am here to kill the Queen,” before being arrested.

Chail was taken into custody under the Mental Health Act, and the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command subsequently assumed control of the investigation. In a statement released on Thursday, law enforcement disclosed that he had shared a video expressing intentions to harm Queen Elizabeth shortly before his apprehension and had meticulously planned the attack.

“Evidence recovered by officers showed that he harbored 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,” the Met Police said.