King Charles III meets members of the public after attending a ceremony at Micklegate Bar in York, northern England on November 9, 2022 during a two-day tour of Yorkshire. – AFP photo
LONDON (April 14): A student who threw eggs at King Charles III during a walkabout last year, and later claimed he was responding to state violence, was today found guilty of threatening behaviour.
Patrick Thelwell, 23, threw “at least five” eggs towards Charles as he met members of the public in the northeastern city of York.
He denied the offence arguing in court that his use of “low level violence” was “lawful” as it was self defence against “the violence carried out by the British state”.
Judge Paul Goldspring, chief magistrate at the court in York, found him guilty of the charge, saying Thelwell “intended to cause King Charles to believe immediate unlawful violence would be used against him”.
The King and Queen Camilla had been in the city on November 9 to unveil a statue of the late Queen Elizabeth II at York Minster.
They were being welcomed by local dignitaries when Thelwell aimed five eggs which “came very close to hitting King Charles,” York magistrates’ court was told during the trial.
Thelwell was heard booing and shouting “this country was built on the blood of slaves” and “not my king” during the incident before he was detained by police.
Some people in the crowd reacted by chanting “God save the King” and “shame on you” at Thelwell.
Thelwell was sentenced to carry out 100 hours of unpaid community work. – AFP