Mum of Brit ‘would-be Trump assassin’ overjoyed as she wins right to visit son’s US prison
20-year-old Michael Sandford's mother has been granted permission to visit him in prison where he on suicide watch following alleged attempt to kill Trump
A British man accused of trying to grab a police officer's gun to shoot Donald Trump will be allowed to see his mum at a Nevada prison.
Michael Sandford has been locked up in the US after the alleged botched assassination attempt on the US presidential nominee at a Trump rally at the Treasure Island casino in Las Vegas on June 18.
He appeared in court on Tuesday in the US for a hearing to decide if his mother Lynne, of Dorking, Surrey, should be allowed to visit him with British lawyer Saimo Chahal - who hopes to reach a plea bargain that would send Sandford back to Britain instead of standing trial in the US.
Sanford's US lawyer Brenda Weksler told the court he is "very young and in a delicate mental state".
Mum Lynne has previously said he's on suicide watch at the tough desert prison 50 miles west of Vegas.
US magistrate Judge Cam Ferenbach granted Sandford's request and said allowing his mum and Chahal to meet with him "might help in the resolution of the case in a way that benefits the defendant and the government".
Sandford, 20, did not speak at the hearing.
Lynne has set up a crowd funding campaign to pay for her son's legal fees which has so far raised more than £30,000.
She has said Sandford has autism, OCD and severe depression and should serve any sentence in the UK close to his family.
Posting an update on the website last night, Lynne said she was "over the moon" at the decision.
She wrote: "I am over the moon that I can finally see Michael. It has been a very traumatic time for Michael and I hear his pain and misery every time he is able to call me.
"I am desperate to ensure that Michael's sister and grandmother can also have contact - albeit they will only have video link contact from a nearby facility - the family support is vital to keep Michael going as he has talked often of just giving up.
"We don't want to lose Michael - that would be the most awful thing in the world for us."
She also posted a statement from lawyer Chahal, which said: "This is very good news indeed. Lynne and
I will be making plans to visit Michael now at the critical time when Michael has to decide on some difficult issues about plea bargaining and the trial.
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We will offer him advice and support to make these decisions. There is little doubt that Michael was very unwell at the time that he committed the offence."
The date for the meeting has not been set.
Sandford has denied disrupting an official function and being an illegal alien in possession of a gun. He could face 30 years in prison if convicted.
