Man Who Broke into Kensington Palace Home Gives Blunt Reason for Security Breach
The man who managed to sneak into the grounds of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Kensington Palace home has now revealed in stark terms why he did it. He delivered a blunt explanation to the judge as he was sentenced to prison. Derek Egan, 39, admitted to trespassing on the property twice, days before Christmas. When questioned in court about his motive, he repeatedly declared, “Because I am a criminal,” a response that framed the case as much as the security breach itself.
Egan pleaded guilty to two counts of trespassing on a protected site at Westminster Magistrates Court. He was asked directly, “Why did you go there?” After his blunt response, the judge asked a follow-up question, “Are you well? Are there any issues in your life?” He then said, “All is fine.” When the judge made it known that jail is a possible punishment, Egan answered, “I suppose I am happy as a criminal to follow whatever judgment (of) yourself and your court today.”
The court heard that around 4 am on December 22, Egan climbed over a fence and entered the Palace garden in West London. He was arrested, taken to a police station, and released on bail with strict conditions, including a ban on his returning to the royal residence. Despite those conditions, he came back the following day, breaching bail and leading to a second arrest. As per The Mirror, the judge addressed this escalation and told him, “You were found in the garden at Kensington Palace, having climbed over the fence. The police bailed you, granted you bail, but you went back. You did it again. You were arrested and brought before this court. You gave no explanation as to why you did it, but climbed over a fence.”
During sentencing, the judge emphasized that Egan’s conduct had worsened as he ignored police instructions and court-imposed restrictions. “In your dealings with the police, you were given instructions not to go back, but you chose to ignore those instructions of the police,” the judge said, adding, “Therefore, the second offence is more serious.” Egan, who chose to represent himself throughout proceedings, was told clearly that “the offences are serious” before being sentenced to a total of 32 weeks in prison, made up of two consecutive 16-week terms for the trespassing offences.
Trespassing on a protected site is a criminal offense under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, and the case comes amidst heightened security around royal residences. A new exclusion zone has recently come into force around the Wales family’s home at Windsor Park, Forest Lodge, and Anmer Hall, a 10-bedroom mansion on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. According to PEOPLE, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson had confirmed the trespassing charges of Egan and revealed, “The charges relate to incidents on Sunday, December 21, and Tuesday, December 23, when Egan was arrested on suspicion of trespassing on a protected site in Palace Green, Kensington.”