By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Judge Paul Goldspring, Chief Magistrate of the York court, on Friday found a 23-year-old student, Patrick Thelwell guilty of threatening behaviour after he threw eggs at Britain’s King Charles III during a walkabout last year.
Thelwell who later claimed that he was responding to state violence, 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”.
The judge found Thelwell guilty of the charge, saying he “intended to cause King Charles to believe immediate unlawful violence would be used against him”.
The court sentenced Thelwell to carry out 100 hours of unpaid community work.
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.
