UK Police arrest man for trespassing on Buckingham Palace grounds wanting to see the Queen

As Britain gears up to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne this week with four days of celebration in central London, a 28-year-old man was arrested for loitering near the Buckingham Palace - royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom, on Sunday.

According to a report by Daily Star, the man was identified as Connor Attridge and has been arrested for allegedly trespassing on the Buckingham Palace grounds. The report claimed that the man told Buckingham Palace staff that "he wants to see the Queen".

Before police could arrest him, Attridge, who has several tattoos on his face, managed to breach the palace boundary. He refused to stop when challenged by a member of the palace staff. Subsequently, he was produced before the Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

While hearing the case, prosecutor Leila Nahaboo-Osman noted that the incident occurred days before the grand ceremony is scheduled for the Queen. She termed the incident a "breach of security" as the area was heavily guarded by the security forces when the man tried to take a glimpse of the monarch.

Defendant's lawyer says his client is suffering from mental health issues

"This is one of the most high-profile weeks in history, with it being the 70th anniversary. The area where the defendant allegedly trespassed is one of the most heavily guarded places in London," noted the prosecutor.

Meanwhile, the defendant's lawyer, Daniel Mullin, told the court that his client is suffering from mental health issues and had no motive to go further than he did. "This was at worst reckless and at best an accidental offence," said Mullin. The judge adjourned the case to June 28 before granting bail to the "mentally unstable man". Notably, the UK is organising Queen's Platinum Jubilee event, to mark Queen Elizabeth II's 70 years of dedicated service to the UK.

Image: AP