Windsor Castle intruder with ‘supersonic crossbow’ confessed plans to ‘kill the Queen’ as ‘revenge’

Jaswant Singh Chail, 20, was charged with treason after revealing his plans to assassinate the Queen at Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle intruder with 'Supersonic' crossbow confessed plans to 'kill the Queen'
(Image credit: Getty)

An armed man who trespassed into Windsor Castle on Christmas Day revealed his plans to 'kill the Queen' as 'revenge' for British troops' massacre of Sikh protesters in 1919. 


An armed man who planned to 'assassinate the Queen' at Windsor Castle revealed his motive for the crime was 'revenge', a UK court has heard. 

Jaswant Singh Chail was arrested on Christmas Day 2021, after trespassing onto Her Majesty's Berkshire estate with a Supersonic crossbow. The 20-year-old told an officer on duty that he was "here to kill the Queen", before being ordered to drop to his knees and release his weapon. 

He was charged with treason for threatening to kill the Queen earlier this month after a Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command investigation into the incident found that he had been planning the attack for months in retaliation to the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre. 

Chail filmed a video before entering the grounds of Windsor Castle, the now-permanent residence of the 96-year-old monarch. In the clip, which was seen by the court, he says that he is "sorry for what I have done and what I will do. I am going to attempt to assassinate Elizabeth, Queen of the Royal Family." 

Windsor

Windsor Castle

(Image credit: Getty)

Prosecutors also told the court that the discharged bolt from Chail's crossbow had the potential to cause serious or fatal injuries. 

Investigators found that Chail had previously applied to work for the Ministry of Defence and the Grenadier Guards in an attempt to gain access to the Royal Family. A search of his home after his arrest also found a gas mask, a rope, and electronic devices. 

In his video, Chail said that his attempt to kill the Queen was "revenge for those who died in the 1919 massacre." The supermarket worker was referring to an incident that occurred in India when British troops fatally shot nearly 400 Sikhs in their holy city of Amritsar during a peaceful protest against new legislative acts. 

"It is also revenge for those who have been killed, humiliated, and discriminated on because of their race," he added. 

Chail is currently behind held at Broadmoor, a high-security psychiatric unit in Crowthorne, Berkshire, after being sectioned under the Mental Health Act. 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.