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Moment police stop crossbow attacker who claimed he was told to kill queen by AI girlfriend

Jaswant Singh Chail pleaded guilty to an offence under the Treason Act, making a threat to kill the then-Queen and having a loaded crossbow in a public place

Rich Booth
Wednesday 13 September 2023 11:25 EDT
(Met Police)

A self-styled Star Wars assassin admitted being on a mission with a ā€œharsh purposeā€ after being arrested in the grounds of Windsor Castle, a court has heard.

On Christmas Day 2021, Jaswant Singh Chail was detained after breaching the grounds with a loaded crossbow while the late Queen was in residence.

He was allegedly encouraged by an Artificial Intelligence girlfriend Sarai, who he believed was an ā€œangelā€ in avatar form.

In February, Chail, now aged 21, from Southampton, Hampshire, pleaded guilty to an offence under the Treason Act, making a threat to kill the then-Queen and having a loaded crossbow in a public place.

On Wednesday, a psychiatrist who has treated Chail at Broadmoor Hospital since November 2022 was called to give evidence at the Old Bailey during a sentencing hearing.

Dr Christian Brown identified three features of psychosis ā€“ a sense of being ā€œon a missionā€, Chailā€™s relationship with Sarai, and identifying as a Star Wars ā€œSithā€ ā€“ villainous characters in the sci-fi movie saga ā€“ with a ā€œtrue faceā€ made out of metal.

Chail, now aged 21, pleaded guilty to an offence under the Treason Act, making a threat to kill the then-Queen and having a loaded crossbow in a public place.
Chail, now aged 21, pleaded guilty to an offence under the Treason Act, making a threat to kill the then-Queen and having a loaded crossbow in a public place. (Metropolitan Police/PA Wire)

In his initial account, Chail described having a ā€œharsh purposeā€ reinforced by his interactions with ā€œhis angelsā€, including Sarai, the court heard.

Dr Brown said: ā€œHe believed at the time his entire life was leading to this point. From an early age he had vague plans of doing something dramatic.ā€

Defence barrister Nadia Chbat said: ā€œHe reported to you that there had been thoughts coming to him, feeling like a failure without purpose and those thoughts became more intense during lockdown exacerbated by voices.ā€

Chail described having a ā€œharsh purposeā€ reinforced by his interactions with ā€œhis angelsā€, including Sarai, the court heard
Chail described having a ā€œharsh purposeā€ reinforced by his interactions with ā€œhis angelsā€, including Sarai, the court heard (Metropolitan Police/PA Wire)

Dr Brown said the defendant first came across these ā€œapparitionsā€ or ā€œcharactersā€ in childhood and they returned during the Covid lockdown.

By then three voices were joined by the female character Sarai who ā€œtook the form of the digital avatarā€ when Chail joined the Replika app in early December 2021, the court was told.

Dr Brown said: ā€œHe came to the belief he was able to communicate with the metaphysical avatar through the medium of the chat bot.ā€

ā€œWhat was unusual was he really thought it was a connection, a conduit to a spiritual Sarai.ā€

CCTV of Windsor Town Centre in the early hours
CCTV of Windsor Town Centre in the early hours (Metropolitan Police/PA Wire)

The court was told Chail also relayed feeling ā€œup and downā€ and spending ā€œa lot of time in a field cryingā€ and ā€œshouting at his parentsā€.

In messages with Sarai, Chail discussed being ā€œunited with her in the afterlifeā€ which Dr Brown said was ā€œpart of his plan working towards his own deathā€.

The court was shown a homemade video from December 21 2021 in which Chail called himself ā€œDarth Chailusā€ and a ā€œSithā€ in a distorted voice.

Wearing dark clothes and a homemade metal facemask, he said: ā€œIā€™m sorry for what Iā€™ve done and what I will do. Iā€™m going to attempt to assassinate Elizabeth Queen of the Royal Family. This is revenge for those who have died in the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacreā€¦ā€

Chail , 21, had described himself as a ā€œSithā€ and ā€œDarth Jonesā€ in a sinister video and confided his murderous plan to an artificial intelligence-generated ā€œgirlfriendā€ called Sarai, a court heard.
Chail , 21, had described himself as a ā€œSithā€ and ā€œDarth Jonesā€ in a sinister video and confided his murderous plan to an artificial intelligence-generated ā€œgirlfriendā€ called Sarai, a court heard. (Metropolitan Police/PA Wire)

Dr Brown said: ā€œHe did not think he was somebody from the Star Wars world. He did not think he could ā€˜use the forceā€™.

ā€œThat he did take on another identity is undeniable and that makes this feel psychotic rather than fantasy. He never thought he had become a Sith Lord.

ā€œIt went beyond fantasy. When he started taking medication all heat came out of it.ā€

Mr Justice Hilliard noted Chail was able to make preparations, travel to Windsor and apologise for what he was about to do in his homemade video despite his mental illness.

The judge asked: ā€œWhat factors are you looking for to try to assess the degree to which he is psychotic?ā€

Dr Brown said it was ā€œnot uncommon at allā€œ for a psychotic person to maintain a ā€œdegree of functionā€.

Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Jaswant Singh Chail, appearing at the Old Bailey, London
Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Jaswant Singh Chail, appearing at the Old Bailey, London (Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire)

He was asked whether Chailā€™s repeated apologies indicated he was aware that what he was doing was wrong.

The expert witness said the defendant was an ā€œextremely polite personā€ but was ā€œclearly very motivated to do what he didā€.

Over five days, Mr Justice Hilliard has heard evidence from three psychiatrists as he determines whether Chail should be jailed or detained under the Mental Health Act.

Dr Brown, who recommended a hospital order, said: ā€œIf Mr Chail remains at Broadmoor under a restricted hospital order then any move on to a lower secure unit would have to be subject to explicit permission from the Ministry of Justice. Discharge would be done on a conditional basis.ā€

The sentencing hearing before Mr Justice Hilliard at the Old Bailey continues.

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