Fayaz Khan, who travelled to Britain across the Channel in an inflatable boat while livestreaming the journey, shouted at Mr Farage as he was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday.
The 33-year-old, who had previously been refused asylum in Sweden, has a criminal record there spanning 17 offences on 12 occasions since 2019.
Khan was found guilty last week of making a threat to kill after posting a TikTok video in which he said he would shoot Mr Farage, prompting what the MP described as a “chilling” sense of fear for his safety and that of his family.
Sitting just 12ft from the defendant, Mrs Justice Steyn told Khan:
“Your video was not mere abuse; it was a threat to kill with a firearm. Given the violent and aggressive nature of your threat, your serious intent to come to the UK, and your evident access to firearms, Mr Farage was understandably very concerned for his own safety and that of his family.”
The judge said Members of Parliament had become “particularly vulnerable to threats and abuse in recent years”, adding that “two MPs have been murdered”.
Khan, who has Kalashnikov tattoos on his face, claimed asylum in the UK after his arrival last October. He said he was at risk from the Taliban because his father had worked for former Afghan president Hamid Karzai between 2010 and 2014.
During his sentencing, Khan suddenly turned to Mr Farage and shouted:
“You want to be prime minister. I am not here because I want to kill you. I am here because I want to fix my life. I want to go back to my country.”
Farage, speaking outside court, said he remained uneasy about the prospect of Khan’s release:
“In 18 months’ time, when he’s out free and there’s no restraining order on him, I’ll be very thoughtful again,” he said. “This violent criminal with 17 convictions in Sweden will be free to walk our streets while his asylum claim is judged. It’s utterly unacceptable.”
Khan also received an eight-month concurrent sentence for entering the UK without valid clearance. Because he was sentenced to more than 12 months in prison, he is automatically liable for deportation.
He has been in custody since November last year, meaning he will serve a maximum of 19 more months in jail.
The court heard that Khan had previously been jailed in Sweden for threatening to stab and rape a woman, and had faced other charges including possession of a knife and filming a naked girl. Sweden withdrew an extradition request last month.
Charles Royle, defending, said Khan came to the UK after “exhausting all appeal rights” in Sweden and receiving notice to leave the country. He added that Khan saw himself as an “entertainer and rapper in the gangster style”, and that his facial tattoos were part of his image.
Mr Royle told the court Khan had apologised to Mr Farage and his sister for his actions.
