King Charles III: Man guilty of York egg-throwing charge

Patrick Thelwell, 23, was found guilty after a trial at York Magistrates' Court.

A man who threw five eggs at King Charles during a visit to York has been found guilty of a public order offence.

Patrick Thelwell hurled the eggs towards the King and Queen Consort as they arrived at Micklegate Bar on 9 November. All five of the eggs missed.

The 23-year-old was found guilty after a trial at York Magistrates' Court.

Thelwell, who represented himself during the hearing, admitted throwing the eggs, but he claimed it was "lawful violence".

Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring found the defendant guilty of threatening behaviour, saying he had "intended to cause King Charles to believe immediate unlawful violence would be used against him".

Thelwell, who was a student at the University of York at the time of the offence, was given a 12-month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay costs of £600 and a £114 surcharge at a rate of £5 per week.

Michael Smith, prosecuting, said that as the eggs were thrown, Thelwell shouted offensive remarks about the King, which included accusing the monarch of being "friends with Jimmy Savile".

He said Thelwell was also wearing high-heeled shoes and that he told police this allowed him to see the King through the crowd.

Body-worn camera footage of Thelwell's arrest, which was played in court, showed Thelwell saying: "I threw an egg at him because that's what he deserved.

"It's the only justice victims of colonialism will get."

He also asked: "Did I get him? Next time, someone will."

The court heard that Thelwell signed a custody form after his arrest with an obscenity and a drawing of an egg.

During the trial Thelwell asked Det Con Peter Wilson, giving evidence: "Do you think throwing eggs is serious violence? More than the violence carried out by the British state?"

Det Con Wilson said he did believe throwing eggs could be violent, but could not comment further.

Thelwell said he had worn high-heeled shoes to give him a better view of the King

Thelwell told the court his defence was "that my actions towards the King were lawful violence rather than unlawful violence".

He said he disputed the legitimacy of the court to try him as he said the Crown Prosecution Service worked for the monarchy and that he had "acted out of necessity".

Thelwell criticised the UK's asylum and climate policies, as well as social inequalities, which he said had been worsened by government policies.

"Hundreds of people have contacted me to say they would have done the same thing and they would do the same thing if the King visited their community," he said.

Speaking outside York Magistrates' Court before the verdict, Thelwell had said he had "no regrets and no apology to the King".

'Unprovoked, targeted act'

Sentencing Thelwell, senior district judge Paul Goldspring said: "This was a gratuitous and pernicious act, particularly the pejorative comments made about the King.

"But the level of violence I accept was low. This was an unprovoked, targeted act against what after all is a 74-year-old man."

Thelwell had arrived at court with a large bag, but the judge told him: "I'm not going to send you to prison."

He said he instead planned to impose an unpaid work order and asked Thelwell: "Do you want to say anything about that? Or are you are just relieved?"

Thelwell laughed and said: "Yes."

He added that he had recently given up his university studies which prompted the judge to ask Thelwell if he had the means to pay the £600 prosecution costs.

Thelwell told the court he had previously been self-employed and asked the judge: "Do you need any gardening doing?"

"Surprisingly not," the judge replied.

The court heard that Thelwell had two previous convictions for public order offences relating to his participation in Extinction Rebellion protests.