Man with weapons in car ‘on way to kill PM’

Police found a cache of weapons including a 950,000 volt stun gun in the car of a man who said he was on his way to kill the Prime Minister, a court has heard.

Irfaq Naz, 34, also had hammers, kitchen knives, a machete, an unsheathed Samurai sword and masking tape in his Vauxhall Astra when he was stopped in July going the wrong way down a north London street.

Officers later searched his home in Middlesbrough and found the Downing Street postcode and the names of other prominent political figures.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The taxi driver was detained under the Mental Health Act, and last month admitted possessing a prohibited weapon, three counts of possessing an offensive weapon, seven counts of having a bladed article and dangerous driving.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, imposed a hospital order with a restriction order meaning Naz can only be released with the permission of the Home Secretary.

Teesside Crown Court heard how he drove from Middlesbrough to London in the early hours of July 16 and by 4am had reached Kentish Town.

He drove his blue Vauxhall Astra the wrong way down Camden High Street, a one-way street, for three-quarters of a mile, causing oncoming traffic to take evasive action. Police were called and tried to stop his car, but he carried on until he got caught in a jam at the junction with Euston Road.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Concerned he might attempt to drive on, officers smashed their way into his car and detained him.

“It was then that the defendant stated that he was on his way to kill the Prime Minister, David Cameron,” Nick Dry, prosecuting, said. “He was found to have a knuckleduster in his shirt pocket and an 18 inch hunting knife in the waistband of his trousers.”

Police found he had previously spent a month at Roseberry Park Hospital, Middlesbrough, as a mental health patient. Mr Dry said a search of his vehicle revealed the other weapons.

Naz, of Finsbury Street, Middlesbrough, also had four mobile phones and £1,200 in cash in the car.