Jaswant Singh Chail, a 21-year-old British Sikh who pleaded guilty to committing treason by threatening to kill Queen Elizabeth II during an intrusion at Windsor Castle on Christmas Day 2021, has been sentenced to nine years in prison by a UK court. The sentencing took place at the Old Bailey court in London, where the judge handed down a “hybrid” sentence order, taking into account Chail’s mental health issues.
Justice Nicholas Hilliard ruled that Jaswant Chail must remain at Broadmoor Hospital, a high-security psychiatric facility in Berkshire, until he is deemed fit to be transferred into custody. The judge noted that Chail’s act was conceived in 2021 when he was not psychotic but later became psychotic, leading to his actions. Hilliard concluded that Chail had acted upon his “homicidal thoughts” and posed a threat of “serious harm” to the public, justifying a custodial order.
During the trial, it was revealed that Chail had been inspired to threaten the Queen as revenge for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, a tragedy he learned about during a family visit to India in 2018. He decided to “give his life purpose” by avenging the killings through the assassination of the British monarch.
Last month, during his trial, Chail wrote a letter expressing his “distress and sadness” as an apology to the royal family and King Charles III.
Jaswant Chail’s family includes his father, a software consultant in the aerospace industry, his mother, a special needs teacher, and his twin sister, a university student. Chail was known to be suffering from mental health issues, and his threat to the Queen was influenced by an AI chatbot “girlfriend” named Sarai and his fascination with ‘Star Wars.’
Chail had pleaded guilty to multiple offenses, including an offense under Section 2 of the Treason Act, 1842, threats to kill under Section 16 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, and possession of an offensive weapon under Section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953.
The Metropolitan Police revealed that Chail had recorded a video of himself expressing his desire to harm the late Queen and shared it with a group of contacts shortly before his arrest. Further investigations uncovered evidence of his planning and motives, indicating his resentment towards the British Empire’s treatment of Indian people.
During the intrusion on December 25, 2021, Chail was found within the grounds of Windsor Castle wearing black clothing and a handmade metal mask. He was armed with a crossbow loaded with a bolt when confronted by officers. Chail declared his intention to kill Queen Elizabeth II, but officers managed to arrest him by drawing their Taser guns.
A social media video emerged later, showing a masked man identifying himself as Indian Sikh Jaswant Singh Chail and expressing his intent to “assassinate” the Queen in retaliation for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar in 1919.
Under the 1842 Treason Act, it is a criminal offense to assault the British Sovereign, have a firearm, or carry an offensive weapon in their presence with the intent to injure or alarm them or to cause a breach of peace. Jaswant Chail’s sentencing reflects the seriousness of his threat to the Queen’s safety and the public.