An IT analyst who crashed his car into the gates of Downing Street has been spared jail after admitting launching an attack on a “symbol of democracy” and making indecent images of children.
Seth Kneller, 43, launched his attack in his silver Kia Ceed on the afternoon of May 25, hours after he posted a TikTok video in which he railed against politicians for causing society’s ills.
Southwark crown court heard armed police officers immediately drew their weapons and approached Kneller’s vehicle, forcing him to lie on the ground as pedestrians ran from the scene.
The prime minister and the chancellor were in Downing Street at the time of the collision, which prompted the closure of nearby roads. After Kneller’s arrest the police found indecent images of children on his mobile phone.
Earlier this month Kneller pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and two counts of making indecent images of children.
Judge Chris Hehir handed Kneller a 15-month prison sentence suspended for two years. As part of his sentence Kneller, who spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth, will have to report to the probation service for 30 days. A sexual harm prevention order was also put in place for seven years, and Kneller has been disqualified from driving for 18 months.
Alex Krikler, for the prosecution, said: “The defendant, who had driven down Whitehall towards Parliament Square, manoeuvred his vehicle so it was facing the gates. He then drove at speed towards the carriageway, slowing down to let a pedestrian move out of the way, before striking the outer gates with his vehicle. The impact caused the gates to swing open; the defendant’s vehicle then collided with the main gates. Although those gates remained shut, they seemed to shake from the force of the impact.”
The court heard that he was immediately detained by armed officers and offered no resistance. “He was made to lie on the ground. Upon arrest the defendant said he had ‘had enough’. An officer asked him why he had done it and the defendant replied: ‘I can’t take it any more. I need help,’” Krikler said.
After searching the vehicle, officers seized a mobile phone and medication. They found Kneller had posted a three-minute video on TikTok at 1.30pm that day, in which he criticised politicians.
Krikler said: “In the video, he railed against politicians, blaming them for society’s ills. He concluded the video saying, ‘Someone has to pay,’ and, ‘We have to make a statement, and that’s what’s going to happen.’ He then signs off, giving his name, stating he is autistic and has ADHD.”
The court heard that eight indecent images of children estimated to be between the ages of eight and twelve were found on his phone and that he had looked at a website known to contain almost 400 indecent images of children.
Charles Hannaford, for the defence, previously told the court that Kneller admitted that he was interested in explicit images of children: “He is very rare in having accepted having an attraction to looking at these images, and it is for exactly that purpose that he tried to get help in 2015.”
The judge told Kneller: “By turning and driving right across Whitehall and into the gates of Downing Street, you quite clearly performed a highly serious manoeuvre. This was a highly dynamic situation. You were in an agitated state of mind; your foot could have slipped from one pedal to another.
“You chose to launch a violent attack on a location, a government location, which in many ways is a symbol of democracy. It’s an important location, and any attack on it must be regarded by the courts with the utmost seriousness.
“It’s important to recognise, while you’re not guilty of any contact abuse of children, by looking at the images you’re partaking in child abuse,” he said. “If it’s not for people like you who consume these images, to look at them, the abuse in question would most likely not take place.” Kneller’s phone and car were confiscated by the police.
