Jailed: Prashanth Kandhaiah
(Picture: Met Police)A man who attempted to attack Ministry of Defence police officers with a knife on Horse Guards Parade has been jailed.
Prashanth Kandhaiah, 30, of Mellion Close, Thamesmead, was found guilty of threatening with an offensive weapon and sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday.
The court heard how Kandhaiah, armed with a knife, confronted the two officers just before 9am on Monday, April 18 in the hope they would shoot him.
One of the officers deployed his Taser and other MOD officers managed to restrain and disarm Kandhaiah.
Shortly after he was arrested, Kandhaiah asked the officers: “Why didn’t you shoot me?” adding in custody: “I thought if you tried to stab an officer they were meant to shoot you."
Police searched his home address and found kitchen knives that were the same make of the knife used to threaten the officers.
His mobile phone was seized and it revealed a map giving directions to the historic location.
Kandhaiah told detectives that he suffers from mental health problems. He said he had planned to be shot by police.
Met Detective Constable Tobias Hussey, the investigating officer, said: “This was an incredibly frightening incident for the Ministry of Defence officers involved, who would have believed they were under attack by someone attempting to seriously injure them.
“They both showed incredible bravery and restraint to disarm Kandhaiah with the use of Taser. It is clear this incident could easily have resulted in a different outcome for all parties involved."
