Man admits throwing egg towards King during royal visit to Luton over 'bad taste visit to poor area'

• Watch the moments after Harry May hurled an egg towards the King during a visit to Luton

A man has pleaded guilty to hurling an egg during King Charles' visit to Luton, saying he considered the visit to a "poor area" to be in "bad taste".

Harry Spartacus May, 21, admitted throwing the egg while the King was on a walkabout near the Town Hall in St George’s Square on 6 December.

The 74-year-old monarch was steered away by bodyguards and continued shaking hands with members of the public further along George Street.

May, of Moreton Road South in Luton, was charged with a public order offence under Section 5.1 and 6 of the Public Order Act 1986.

He was fined £100 at Westminster Magistrates' Court, where the case had been sent as it was a deemed a “special jurisdiction case” that could only be heard by the Chief Magistrate, and ordered to pay £85 in costs.

Prosecutor Jason Seetal said police had detained May after seeing him hurl a projectile towards the monarch, which landed on the floor nearby as the King spoke with members of the public.

Mr Seetal said when officers interviewed him, he told them “he did this because he believed the King visiting a town like Luton, which is a deprived and poor area, was in bad taste and he wanted to make a point of this”.

The prosecutor told the court: “There had been a large crowd of members of the public there to greet King Charles III. As he exited a vehicle, he’s gone to greet members of the public, shaking hands and having a few brief conversations as he moved along the line.

“Within that crowd that had gone to greet him was Harry May.”

May was later confronted by a police officer who asked what he had thrown, to which he replied: “An egg.”

He sat in the dock wearing glasses and a navy jacket as his defence lawyer, Alex Benn, told the court he “deeply regrets” his actions.

Mx Benn described May as a “committed and family-oriented person” who dedicates his time to caring for his elderly grandfather and sister.

“He cares deeply about his local community, especially the poverty that exists in certain areas of Luton,” Mx Benn said, adding: “That is some context and some explanation.”

Addressing May, chief magistrate Paul Goldspring said: “Whatever disagreement you have with somebody, the way to resolve it is not to throw projectiles at them.”

Mr Goldspring rejected a claim from May’s mother that he “was not really aware” hurling an object in the direction of a public figure may cause them “fear”.

But he added: “She does go on, and I accept, that you expressed your regret at home.

“I also accept you weren’t trying to hit His Majesty with the egg. But you planned it and you planned to do it again otherwise why take two?

“You targeted somebody. It doesn’t matter the reasons why.”

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know