‘Polite British boy’ obsessed with toy guns held over bid to kill Trump
A BRITISH man accused of trying to kill Donald Trump is a “polite and peaceful boy” obsessed with toy guns and building robots, his family claim.
Michael Sandford, 20, was arrested for allegedly trying to grab a policeman’s gun during a Trump rally at a Las Vegas casino.
He appeared in court yesterday charged with an act of violence in a restricted area. Sandford, who has competed on TV’s Robot Wars, faces up to 10 years in jail if found guilty.
Court papers say the Surrey-born defendant, who has Asperger’s syndrome, admitted spending a year planning to kill Mr Trump.
But his stunned father Paul Davey, 50, of Havant, Hants, said yesterday he is not violent and has never been interested in politics.
Mr Davey, who with Sandford’s mother Lynne, 41, helped him pursue his fascination for building full-scale, fighting robots, said: “It’s an absolute shock. He’s never been violent; he’s always been polite and peaceful.
“It’s totally out of character and we’re worried about what has happened to him since he’s been in America.
“Whether he’s been blackmailed or put up to it, that’s the only thing we can think of.” Mrs Sandford refused to comment yesterday as she and Sandford’s grandmother left the family home in Dorking, Surrey, with a police family liaison officer.
Sandford, who had been in the US illegally for 18 months, is accused of trying to grab the gun as he asked for Mr Trump’s autograph.
He allegedly told secret service agents that he expected to die in the assassination bid.
Sandford travelled to the Nevada gambling city on Friday and said he practised firing a 9mm Glock pistol at a local range before embarking on his mission to shoot Mr Trump on Saturday.
He appeared in court yesterday with shackles on his legs. He was refused bail and will appear again on July 5.