Channel migrant with AK-47 face tattoo guilty of threatening to kill Nigel Farage in TikTok post

Fayaz Khan, 26, detailed his journey travelling to the UK in a small boat and threatened to kill Mr Farage as well as "marry [his] sister" in a TikTok post.

He was found guilty following a trial at Southwark Crown Court during which Mr Farage called the threat "pretty chilling".

Nicholas Coates of the Crown Prosecution Service said: "Khan not only entered the UK illegally - but made sinister threats against a Member of Parliament in plain view of thousands of followers.

"Elected politicians must be able to carry out their jobs free from the fear of harm or abuse, and we will make sure that those who seek to intimidate them face the full force of the law.

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"Having already charged Khan with coming to the UK illegally, we were determined to bring him to justice for his threats against Nigel Farage - and we hope today's conviction sends a clear message."

Mr Farage told the court on Tuesday that Khan's video was "pretty chilling", adding: "Given his proximity to guns and love of guns, I was genuinely worried."

The Reform UK leader added: "He says he's coming to England and he's going to shoot me."

Jurors were shown a screenshot of a subsequent TikTok post by Khan with the caption "I mean what I say" written on an image of a GB News report about the alleged threat against Mr Farage.

The court was also shown other videos posted on social media by Khan in which he appeared to make "pop, pop, pop" noises and similar hand gestures to those in the TikTok video referencing Mr Farage.

In a police interview on November 1 last year, Khan said: "It was never my intention to kill him or anything - this is my character, this is how I act in my videos."

The Afghan national added: "In every video I make those sounds, I say 'pop, pop pop'."

Khan was not called to give evidence on Wednesday by defence lawyer Charles Royle.

In his closing speech, prosecutor Mr Ratliff said the alleged threat to kill was "not some off-the-cuff comment" and the video was "sinister and menacing".

He added that Khan was "a dangerous man with an interest in firearms".

The prosecutor added: "If you've got an AK-47 tattooed on your arm and your face, it's because you love AK-47s and you want the world to know that."

In his closing speech, Mr Royle said Khan was "remonstrating in his own idiosyncratic, moronic, comedic, eye-catching, attention-seeking way", rather than making a threat to kill in the TikTok video.

Detective Constable Liam Taylor told the court that Khan had "live-streamed" his journey across the English Channel from France and was arrested on October 31 after arriving in the UK on a small boat.