Man accused of seizing Queen’s coffin flag given bail, will remain in hospital

• A man is accused of snatching the flag from Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin.
• He wanted to confirm for himself that she had passed away.
• The 28-year-old was detained and charged with two public order offences.

London: According to evidence presented in court on Tuesday, the man accused of snatching the flag from Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin wanted to confirm for himself that she had passed away.

Prior to her royal funeral, Queen Elizabeth’s coffin was on display in London’s Westminster Hall from Wednesday through Monday. An estimated 250,000 members of the public stood in line for hours to pay their respects as they filed past the coffin.

On Friday night, the 28-year-old allegedly raced up to the coffin and seized the Royal Standard.

He was detained and charged with two public order offences when he appeared before Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The accused had arrived at Westminster Hall. Officers in attendance then observed him walking toward the coffin. Luke Staton, the prosecutor, said the court.

He stood up and moved toward the catafalque. He then grasped the Royal Standard flag that was draped over the coffin with both hands.

The court was informed that police swiftly detained, arrested, and questioned him.

According to Staton, “the defendant did express the thought that the Queen is not dead and that he approached the coffin in order to verify for himself.”

The accused allegedly had delusions, according to testimony in court.

“At the time when you were in Westminster, you didn’t accept that the Queen was dead, and that was the reason you were advancing towards the coffin to convince yourself that she was,” district judge Michael Snow told him.

He said, “He is still insane and believes that the Queen is still alive and that King Charles is somehow involved.”

He was given bail with the requirement that he report to a mental health facility in east London until his upcoming court appearance on October 18.

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