An Afghan national who arrived in the UK via a small boat, Fayaz Khan, 26, has been found guilty of making a threat to kill Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in a TikTok video. The conviction came after almost 12 hours of deliberation at Southwark Crown Court, with a majority of 10 jurors to two finding him guilty. Mr. Farage described the threat, made in October last year, as “pretty chilling,” expressing genuine concern due to Khan’s apparent affinity for firearms.

Jurors heard that Khan maintained a significant online presence on TikTok, where his videos, under the username “madapasa,” garnered hundreds of thousands of views. In autumn last year, his content primarily documented his attempts to reach the UK by small boat. Prosecutor Peter Ratliff informed the court that Khan had resided in Stockholm, Sweden, since 2019.

The incident that led to the threat began on October 12 last year, when Mr. Farage uploaded a YouTube video titled “the journey of an illegal migrant.” This video highlighted Khan and raised concerns about “young males of fighting age coming into our country about whom we know very little.” Khan responded on October 14 with his own TikTok video. In this video, played to the jury, Khan appeared to say: “Englishman Nigel, don’t talk shit about me. You not know me. I come to England because I want to marry with your sister. You not know me. Don’t talk about me more. Delete the video. I’m coming to England. I’m going to pop, pop, pop.”

During the recitation of “pop, pop, pop,” Khan made gun gestures with his hand, headbutted the camera, and pointed to an AK-47 tattoo on his face to, as Ratliff explained, “emphasise he wasn’t joking.” Farage reiterated his distress, stating, “Given his proximity to guns and love of guns, I was genuinely worried. He says he’s coming to England and he’s going to shoot me.” Further evidence included a screenshot of a subsequent TikTok post by Khan with the caption “I mean what I say” overlaid on a GB News report about the alleged threat. The court was also shown other social media videos featuring Khan making similar “pop, pop, pop” noises and hand gestures.

Khan livestreamed his journey across the English Channel from France and was subsequently arrested on October 31 after arriving in the UK on a small boat. In a police interview on November 1, Khan denied any intent to kill, claiming, “It was never my intention to kill him or anything – this is my character, this is how I act in my videos. In every video I make those sounds, I say ‘pop, pop pop’.” Khan was not called to give evidence during the trial.

In his closing speech, Prosecutor Ratliff argued that the threat was “not some off-the-cuff comment” but rather “sinister and menacing,” characterizing Khan as “a dangerous man with an interest in firearms.” He highlighted the AK-47 tattoo as evidence of this interest. Conversely, defence lawyer Charles Royle contended that Khan was merely “remonstrating in his own idiosyncratic, moronic, comedic, eye-catching, attention-seeking way,” rather than issuing a genuine threat.

Following the verdict, Mr. Farage posted on X, announcing Khan’s conviction and raising concerns about further charges Khan faces, including an alleged child pornography charge in Sweden, for which a court hearing is scheduled for December 3. Farage expressed hope that Khan would be deported to Sweden to face these allegations, also mentioning that he had knowledge of Khan facing a knife crime charge in Sweden. Farage expressed strong views on individuals with such backgrounds entering the UK, citing Khan's Kalashnikov tattoo, 'gangster' behaviour, and being filmed surrounded by girls wearing burqas as reasons for his unsuitability. Khan remains in custody and is scheduled for sentencing on Tuesday for both the threat to kill conviction and for illegally entering the UK. Nicholas Coates of the Crown Prosecution Service underscored the importance of protecting elected politicians from harm and abuse, stating that Khan's conviction sends a clear message.