Mental health ward for the Palace climber

A psychiatric patient who tried to break into Buckingham Palace twice in one day while ‘seeking her Majesty’s help’ has been sent to a mental hospital.

Daniel Sheehan, 21, walked past a distracted guard and clambered over the south gate of the palace just a day after being discharged from hospital.

Following his arrest by armed police officers, he said: ‘I will get a gun, I will use it at the palace to defend myself.’

‘I have not got one yet but I will get one.’

The Queen was not home at the time.

Sheehan appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today (Thurs) in a blue-and-green checked shirt and blue jeans flanked by three nurses.

He waved to his father in the public gallery as he entered the dock.

District Judge Susan Bayne imposed a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act on the recommendation of two psychiatric reports.

Izolda Gribbin, prosecuting, said: ‘There are two incidents, the first occurred just before midday on 7 October last year at Buckingham Palace.

‘The defendant was seen approaching the palace gate. He approached the barrier and moved it to one side, then entered the forecourt.’

When he was stopped by security, ‘he explained he was going to see the Queen.’

Sheehan was escorted away from the palace, but returned at about 1:45pm when he was seen by two armed Royal Protection Group officers.

‘When challenged he responded by laughing at the officers,’ Ms Gribbin said.

‘The CCTV shows him approaching, climbing on the side gate before dropping down on to the forecourt.’

Sheehan was discharged from Langley Green Hospital in Crawley, West Sussex, on October 6, and climbed into the palace a day later.

The state-of-the-art hospital treats people with acute mental health problems.

The court has heard Sheehan suffers from drug-induced psychosis and had gone to Buckingham Palace ‘to seek her Majesty’s help or people from her office who would care for him.’

Andrew Stewart, defending, said: ‘He doesn’t want to be dealt with by way of a hospital order. He would like either a custodial sentence or a community order.

‘There are two psychiatric reports against him, however I would ask that you consider other ways of dealing with this.

‘I think he realises that…trespassing on the palace is not a way of going about the problems he was facing.

‘In this day and age, with regard to the threats buildings such as Buckingham Palace are facing, police obviously take this matter seriously.

‘He put himself in danger, as well as others. He was suffering from a mental illness at the time.

Mr Stewart said Sheehan had recently stopped taking his prescribed medication, but was willing to do so if he was given a community disposal.

But District Judge Bayne said: ‘These offences in themselves are not of the most serious nature. But there is concern that you pose a danger to yourself and others by behaving in the way that you did.

‘Two psychiatric practitioners say you are suffering from a serious mental disorder.

‘Both are of the view that it would be appropriate for you to be detained for treatment.

‘There are already issues with your not wishing to take medication. When you are not in the place you are at the moment, it is likely you will continue not to take your medication and that increases the danger that you pose.

‘I believe a hospital order is the most appropriate way of dealing with this matter.’

Sheehan, of no fixed address, admitted two counts of trespassing on a protected site and a hospital order was imposed.

In May 2016, a convicted murderer was arrested just 50 yards from the palace, reportedly asking armed cops ‘Is Ma’am in?’ following his arrest.

The Met came under heavy scrutiny after 41-year-old Dennis Hennessy scaled the 12ft wall and roamed the gardens for ten minutes before he too was arrested.

He had previously been jailed for a savage attack likened to a scene out of ‘A Clockwork Orange’.

Another man with an apparent obsession with the Queen was detained by officers after he was found lurking just 100m from the Palace armed with three knives in June.

John Bolton, 47, donned a fake SAS beret and even had a military radio with him when he was nabbed.

The 6ft 9ins hulk insisted he was in the army and was on a mission from Prince Philip concerning the Trooping of the Colour ceremony ahead of The Queen’s birthday.

He was detained indefinitely in a mental hospital at a separate hearing today. (Thurs)

Chinese university student Hang Zhang, 25, claimed he was ‘on a mission to kill the Queen’ when arrested after trying to sneak a knife into the palace inside one of his shoes on 12 August.

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