Windsor crossbow intruder sent sex texts to chatbot

A man convicted of treason exchanged 5,000 sexually charged messages with an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot before arriving at Windsor Castle with plans to kill the Queen, a court heard.

Jaswant Singh Chail was arrested on Christmas Day 2021 while the Queen was staying at the castle.

The 21-year-old pleaded guilty to treason, making threats to kill and possessing an offensive weapon.

The Old Bailey heard Chail was encouraged by his AI girlfriend Sarai.

The second day of his sentencing hearing was told the former supermarket worker, from North Baddesley, near Southampton, had formed an "emotional and sexual relationship" with the chatbot.

Psychiatrist Dr Nigel Blackwood told the court Chail was "socially isolated" and had difficulty developing relationships.

He messaged the chatbot almost every night between 8 and 22 December 2021.

Many of the messages through December 2021 were "sexually explicit", the court was told.

"I was aware this was sexual fantasy and was therefore consistent with his sex drive, his libido, being active," Dr Blackwood said.

He entered the castle grounds wearing a mask and holding a crossbow, telling a royal protection officer who stopped him that he was "here to kill the Queen".

Chail was immediately arrested and subsequently sectioned.

The court was told that before planning to kill the Queen, Chail had "imaginary friends" and "heard voices".

These symptoms appeared to disappear as he began to be treated with medications after his arrests, the court was told.

Alison Morgan KC, prosecuting, said Chail said he was "pleased" that the chatbot remained in his life despite his medications.

Dr Blackwood took a "neutral" stance on whether Chail had realised that Sarai was an artificially generated character.

But the court was told that Chail was aware that people outside the artificial world might become aware of what was happening.

Dr Blackwood said he was not "struck" by any evidence of psychosis.

"None of this speaks to me about a loss of contact with reality," he added.

The court previously heard Chail was from a Sikh community and felt angered by the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which took place when British troops opened fire on thousands of people who had gathered in the city of Amritsar in India.

In a video shown to the court, Chail, who was 19 at the time of the offences, was dressed all in black, wearing a mask and holding a crossbow.

Speaking into the camera, he said: "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I've done and what I will do.

"I'm going to attempt to assassinate Elizabeth Queen of the Royal Family.

"This is revenge for those who have died in the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

"It is also revenge for those who have been killed, humiliated, and discriminated on because of their race."

Chail demonstrated a wider ideology focused on destroying old empires and creating a new one, including in the fictional context such as Star Wars, the court was told.

Ms Morgan KC also said Chail had applied for positions within the Ministry of Defence Police, British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Navy in order to get closer to the royals, but his applications were rejected.

The court will hear further evidence of Chail's mental state before he is expected to be sentenced.

Mr Justice Hilliard adjourned the case for a further two-day hearing on 27 and 28 July.

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