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The Brit accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at a rally was an "obsessed" Robot Wars fan from Dorking in Surrey, the Mirror can reveal.

Michael Sandford, 20, is facing 10 years in prison for allegedly attempting to kill the presumptive Republican presidential nominee in Las Vegas on Saturday.

He is charged with 'an act of violence on restricted grounds ' after allegedly attempting to grab a gun from a police officer's holster and shoot Mr Trump.

Sandford is believed to have told the Secret Service he had been “planning to kill Trump for about a year but decided to act on this occasion because he finally felt confident about trying it.”

(Image: Polaris / eyevine) (Image: Facebook)

The Mirror can reveal that until as recently as June 2014, Sandford was living with his mum Lynne in Dorking, Surrey.

He has been described as an "obsessed" fan of the TV show Robot Wars and had spent thousands of pounds buying robots from the show, despite having "no idea" how to operate them.

John Findlay, the expert behind the original show, told how he bought and sold robots to Sandford until he suddenly "disappeared".

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(Image: REUTERS/Brandon Wade)

Mr Findlay said: "I'm totally shocked. When I saw his picture it was just totally freaky.

"He went through a phase of buying a load of robots starting around five years ago, then he just disappeared.

"He was quite active in the robot community for a while - buying famous robots from the show.

"He was a bit obsessed.

"I then got them working for him because he had absolutely no idea about robots.

"I believe he had some form of autism - Robot Wars attracts quite a lot of people with autism.

"He was calm, very quiet, a little bit weird and reserved.

"That was it."

Mr Findlay said Sandford, a former pupil of The Ashcombe School in Dorking, suddenly got back in contact around June 2014 saying he needed to sell all his robots as soon as possible.

In a Facebook message Sandford wrote: "Sorry to bother you again Jonno, having a financial crisis, so it you can pay now all 3 are yours for £1500, I paid that for SA alone.

"Please let me know again don’t mean to keep harassing you, but I’m sure you know what its’ like having no money, Thanks"

Sandford's mum Lynne was seen being escorted out of a flat in Dorking today.

Lynne did not appear visibly upset as she walked away with the officers from Kent police but said nothing to waiting reporters and remained calm throughout.

A family friend said: "Lynne is devastated, she had no idea what had happened until she got a call from a friend who had seen it on TV.

"She has worked so hard to get her son through his problems and has another little one to take care of this will be far too much for her.

"She's switched off her phone and won't want anything to do with the world now she's just distraught.

"Her son always had very serious problems.

"He had a complete mental breakdown about six years ago and nobody has seen much of him since.

"He'd only come out at night because that's when he felt most safe I think but the family thought he was through the worst of his troubles.

"They thought he was on the mend out in the States so this is just absolutely shocking."

When Sandford appeared in court yesterday, it emerged he had been living in his car in the United States while on an expired Visa.

Prosecutors also said the suspect also suffered from a form of autism.

(Image: REUTERS/David Becker)

Following a brief hearing in Las Vegas he was ordered by US Magistrate Judge George Foley Jr. to be held without bail.

The justice found Sandford a danger to the community and a flight risk.

Assistant US Attorney Jared Grimmer argued for Sandford to remain on remand arguing he was unemployed and living in the States illegally with no ties to Las Vegas.

Mr Grimmer also said Sandford may have some “mental health issues.“

Police filed a complaint in the Nevada US District Court on Monday signed by Special Agent Joseph Hall.

He wrote how Sandford had driven from California in order to kill Trump and had visited a gun range in Las Vegas the day before to learn how to shoot.

On the day of the rally at the Treasure Island Casino the would-be killer is alleged to have approached a police officer on the pretence he wanted an autograph from Trump.

The report detailed how Sanford then tried grabbing the handle of the cop’s handgun in an attempt to remove it.

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“At the rally, uniformed Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer Ameel Jacob was stationed at the rally to assist providing security,” said the report.

“An individual later identified as Sandford approached Officer Jacob, stating that he was seeing an autograph from Trump.

“Sandford then attempted to seize the sidearm Officer Jacob by grabbing the holster and handler of the firearm with both hands in an attempt to remove the firearm from the holster.

“Sandford was arrested and on his person was located a United Kingdom Driving Licence.”

The report then details how Sandford said he had been in the States approximately 18 months and had lived in Hoboken, New Jersey before moving to the “Ontario/San Bernardino” area of California.

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He told the agent he had driven across the America in his black 2007 BMW 328i.

The report gave details of how the Brit had visited the Battlefield Vegas Gun range to learn how to use a gun.

“Sandford said he went to the Battlefield Vegas Gun range in Las Vegas on June 17, 2016, to learn how to shoot a gun,” it stated.

“Sandford claimed that this was his first time he had ever fired a gun.

“According to Sandford he fired 20 rounds from a 9mm Glock pistol for the purpose of learning how to use it.”

(Image: REUTERS/David Becker)

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The man was later identified by staff at the gun range as having been there the day before to practice.

They recognised him by his UK driving licence which was shown to them.

The report said Sandford had “targeted Officer Jacobs because he believed he saw the officer’s holster in an unlocked postion.

“Sandford reason it would be the easiest way to acquire a gun to shoot Trump.”

The Brit told the Secret Service “if he were on the street tomorrow, he would try this again”.

When asked what he would have done had he not made an attempt on Trump’s life he said he had bought ticket a for Trump rally in Phoenix, Arizona, where he would try again.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are providing assistance following an arrest of a British national in Las Vegas."

Following his arrest his mother told court researchers he had been treated for obsessive compulsive disorder and anorexia when he was younger, and that he once escaped a hospital in England.

Public defender Heather Fraley said Sandford appeared to be competent and hadn't been diagnosed with a mental illness but that has autism and previously attempted suicide.