Britain's Prince Charles is a "brilliant bloke," according to the man who broke into the grounds of his country home. Desmond Kellaway - who caused a massive security scare when he was caught outside Charles' Gloucestershire residence of Highgrove in January - pleaded guilty to being equipped for theft at Cheltenham Magistrates Court Wednesday.
Charles and his wife Camilla were asleep inside the manor when 55-year-old Kellaway entered the royal grounds armed with a broken pitchfork, a hacksaw, two screwdrivers and a Hessian sack.
However, the father-of-five - who has 19 previous convictions dating back almost 40 years - claimed he had posed no threat to the prince, and thought he was "a brilliant bloke."
After being arrested at the scene, Kellaway told police his car had broken down and he had confused the property's lights for a village. The Bristol man changed his mind in court and admitted he had been operating with the intention to commit theft.
Kellaway was fined $198 and ordered to pay $79 costs.
His lawyer, Helen Smith, insisted her client had no idea the property he was entering was Charles' home.
Kellaway told reporters after the case: "I've always been a royalist. I thank Prince Charles for dropping the trespass charge. He is a really nice chap. But they need to sort their security. If I was a bomber I could have driven a truck of explosives across those fields or just shot both guards."
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