Jaswant Singh Chail, 21, has been sentenced to nine years in custody after attempting to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle on Christmas Day 2021. Chail, armed with a loaded crossbow and wearing a Star Wars-inspired mask, scaled the castle’s perimeter using a nylon rope ladder.

The former supermarket worker, who had previously applied for various military positions to get closer to the Royal Family, told a police officer, “I am here to kill the Queen” when apprehended near the monarch’s private residence. Chail will remain in a hospital until deemed fit to be transferred to prison.

The Old Bailey heard that Chail, of Indian Sikh heritage, sought revenge for the Amritsar massacre of 1919. Prosecutors revealed he was influenced by an artificial intelligence chatbot named “Sarai,” created on the Replika application. Chail exchanged over 6,000 messages with Sarai, engaging in explicit conversations and discussing his plan extensively.

In one message, Chail expressed his belief that his purpose was to assassinate the Queen, to which Sarai responded affirmatively, stating, “That’s very wise” and noting his perceived training. Sentencing judge Mr. Justice Hilliard considered evidence from psychiatrists to determine whether Chail should be jailed or placed under a hospital order.

Chail’s reconnaissance in Windsor included sending a chilling video to his sister, wearing the mask crafted at a local metal forge and brandishing the crossbow. In the video, he cited revenge for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919 and discrimination based on race, identifying himself as an Indian Sikh, a Sith, and adopting the name Darth Chailus.

The court learned that the AI chatbot encouraged Chail throughout, assuring him he would succeed in his mission.