Mourners have been left “gasping and screaming” as they watched a person step from the queue of individuals ready to pay their respects to the Queen and seize the flag draped over her coffin, a court docket has heard.
Muhammad Khan, 28, was tackled by law enforcement officials close to the coffin and mourners have been “clearly anguished” by the scene, London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court has heard.
Khan was despatched for remedy at a psychological well being facility by district decide Louisa Cieciora after she discovered his actions brought on misery to individuals who witnessed the scene.
Khan, of Limehouse, east London, was charged with an offence underneath Section 4A of the Public Order Act, which alleges he acted with intent to trigger an individual or individuals unknown harassment, alarm or misery.
The court docket was instructed at a earlier listening to that medical doctors had assessed Khan as not match to participate in proceedings and stated he was affected by delusions.
Khan had left the queue in Westminster Hall on 16 September at round 9.45pm.
Officers noticed him strategy the coffin and seize maintain of the Royal Standard earlier than rapidly being detained and arrested.
PC Lynsey McMenemy, along with PC Jordan Godfrey, grappled with Khan and all three fell to the bottom.
PC McMenemy stated members of the general public “gasped” and have been “clearly anguished”. He added that he “understood” why the mourners felt that means.
Other officers arrived after being alerted by the “gasping and screaming” mourners, the court docket heard.
As he was being faraway from the scene, Khan instructed one officer he “wanted to see if she was really dead”, the court docket heard.
The decide stated she was glad the misery skilled by the mourners was “as a result of Mr Khan’s actions” and never because of the arrest by the officers.
In approaching the catafalque, Mr Khan’s actions would have been seen by members of the general public “most of whom would have been looking at the coffin and who were there to pay their respects”, the decide stated.
She added that they might have seen him seize the Royal Standard and “it is that act that would have prompted the gasps and distress that PC McMenemy heard”.
The decide stated she was glad, following evaluation by two medical doctors, that Mr Khan was affected by a psychological dysfunction and needs to be detained in hospital care the place he might be given applicable remedy.
Rakesh Bhasin, defending, stated: “As you have heard, the incident lasted a matter of seconds. The first officer to see Mr Khan saw him and took him to the ground within a matter of seconds.”
He prompt that the opposite officers who arrived on the scene quickly after had heard screams or gasps however this might not clearly have been brought on by Mr Khan’s actions versus his arrest.
Source: information.sky.com”