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LONDON. — The mother of a Briton accused of attempting to grab a police officer’s gun to try to kill Donald Trump has said she fears her son may try to kill himself if he is sentenced to jail.

Michael Sandford (20) from Dorking, Surrey, was expected to appear in court in Las Vegas later on Tuesday.

He was arrested at a rally in a Las Vegas casino after going for the weapon as he asked for the presidential hopeful’s autograph on 18 June.

Sandford, who was in the US without permission, later told police he wanted to kill the presumptive Republican nominee, according to the secret service.

His mother, Lynne, said the son she knew was “sweet, sensitive and calm” and the charges were not “the actions of the same person”.

“I was horrified, obviously. It’s very scary. This is not the Michael I know. I just can’t get my head around it to be honest,” she told the Victoria Derbyshire programme on BBC2.

“I have been told through reading the press he faces 30 years in prison and ridiculous amounts of fines and there is no way he would be able to cope with that.” Sandford was diagnosed with Asperger’s at 13 and had to be sectioned as a teenager after developing anorexia and coming close to dying. His mother said he had tried to kill himself before. — Press Association