Michael Sandford: Jailed Trump accused 'to plead guilty'

Michael Sandford has been in a US jail since his arrest in June

The mother of a Briton accused of trying to shoot and kill US presidential candidate Donald Trump says he will plead guilty to lesser charges when he appears in court.

Michael Sandford, 20, from Dorking, Surrey, is accused of trying to grab a police officer's gun to shoot Mr Trump at a Las Vegas rally on 18 June.

He is due to stand trial later this month.

Lynne Sandford visited her son in jail for the first time on Thursday.

'It is a gamble'

Mrs Sandford, told ITV News London her son had signed a plea agreement and his lawyer hopes to have the trial adjourned.

"It was a bit of a battle because he is quite headstrong, but we all laid the options out there for him on the table and, of course, it is a gamble," she said.

She said her son needed care for a number of mental health conditions, including autism, severe obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, depression and previously anorexia - and had previously tried to take his own life twice.

The family's lawyer said she was hopeful the trial would be adjourned to enable them to present medical evidence to the court.

Ms Sandford has argued he should serve any sentence in a psychiatric hospital in the UK.

Michael Sandford was detained during a US presidential rally for Donald Trump

Mr Sandford has previously pleaded not guilty to charges of: disrupting government business and official functions, being an illegal alien and possession of a gun.

According to ITV News London, he has agreed to plead guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and disrupting government business.

He is expected to enter his plea on Tuesday before the US district judge.

Mrs Sandford said: "There's no certainty, but he has signed the plea agreement. Now we have to wait to see if the judge will accept it."