Christopher John Lewis

{{short description|New Zealander who attempted to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II}}

{{Infobox person

| name =

| image = Christopher John Lewis.jpeg

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1964|9|7|df=y}}

| birth_place = Dunedin, New Zealand

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1997|9|23|1964|9|7|df=y}}

| death_place = Mount Eden Prison, Auckland

| death_cause = Suicide by electrocution

| nationality = New Zealand

| other_names =

| occupation =

| years_active =

| known_for = Attempted assassination of Queen Elizabeth II

| notable_works =

}}

Christopher John Lewis (7 September 1964 – 23 September 1997) was a New Zealand criminal who made an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II in 1981. He planned later attempts at assassinating other British royal family members but was kept away from them by the authorities in New Zealand.

In 1997, he was charged with the murder of Tania Furlan and the kidnapping of her daughter. He killed himself before he could be brought to trial.

Early life

Lewis was born in Dunedin on 7 September 1964. He had a troubled life; his father was a cruel disciplinarian, and he was expelled from school after assaulting another child. He struggled at school and was unable to write or read until the age of eight.{{cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/99760154/the-snowman-and-the-queen-the-story-of-a-kiwi-teen-terrorist-and-wouldbe-assassin |title=The Snowman and the Queen: The story of a Kiwi teen terrorist and would-be assassin |author=McNeilly, Hamish |work=Stuff |location=New Zealand |date=8 January 2018 |access-date=15 January 2018}} As a boy, he idolised Charles Manson.{{cite news |url=http://www.newsweek.com/who-christopher-john-lewis-troubled-teenager-who-idolised-charles-manson-780987 |title=Who Is Christopher John Lewis? Troubled Teen Almost Succeeded in Bid to Assassinate Queen Elizabeth, Ex-Officer Claims |work=Newsweek | location=United States |last=Porter|first=Tom |date=14 January 2018 |access-date=15 January 2018}} In his teens, he formed a would-be guerrilla army (the National Imperial Gurelia{{sic}} Army) with two friends. The group stole weapons, sent a threatening letter to the police, and robbed a post office of $5,244.

Assassination attempts

On 14 October 1981, 17-year-old Lewis had been tracking the New Zealand tour of the royal family, who were to visit Otago Museum in Dunedin. Lewis concealed a .22 (5.6 mm) calibre rifle wrapped up in an old pair of jeans, and travelled by bicycle to the Adams Building, where he took up a position in a toilet cubicle. He fired through the window at the Queen as she was exiting a car. The shot did not impact near the Queen or anyone else, but a loud crack was heard; local police told journalists that the noise had been caused by a sign falling down.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Frevealed-the-day-a-schoolboy-17-tried-to-assassinate-the-queen%2Fnews-story%2F6cf670fa9611a94308ae50203c9c0702&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&nk=2d666ca0f3e8bd8fe1d382ed57e42b50-1586224854|title=Subscribe to The Australian {{!}} Newspaper home delivery, website, iPad, iPhone & Android apps|website=www.theaustralian.com.au|access-date=7 April 2020}}{{cite news |url=http://royalcentral.co.uk/uk/thequeen/assassination-attempt-on-the-queen-covered-up-by-new-zealand-government-94769 |title=Assassination attempt on The Queen covered up by New Zealand government |author=Cavell, Jordan |work=Royal Central |location=United Kingdom |date=15 January 2018 |access-date=15 January 2018}}

While Lewis did not have a proper vantage point nor a sufficiently powerful rifle for his purposes, a 1997 report by the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service notes that his intent was to kill the Queen.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-newzealand-security-queen/new-zealand-teenager-tried-to-assassinate-queen-elizabeth-in-1981-intelligence-agency-idUSKCN1GD3RN|title=New Zealand teenager tried to assassinate Queen Elizabeth in 1981:...|date=1 March 2018|newspaper=Reuters}} Eight days after firing the shot, Lewis was arrested and charged with public possession of a firearm, and public discharging of a firearm. As the charges were read to him, Lewis responded, "Only two charges, what? Shit ... Had the bullet hit her, would it be treason?" Lewis served three years in prison, with the last part in a psychiatric prison.

The New Zealand Police covered up the story, charging him with possession of a firearm, but kept the event under wraps as they were concerned that it would create a negative image of New Zealand and endanger future royal visits.{{cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/excop-claims-queen-elizabeth-came-close-to-being-assassinated-on-tour-of-new-zealand-in-1981/news-story/f78afe4ac22e29b596ebc2fc6c866f38 |title=Ex-cop claims Queen Elizabeth came close to being assassinated on tour of New Zealand in 1981 |work=The Sun |location=Australia |date=14 January 2018 |access-date=15 January 2018}}{{cite news |url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/904285/Queen-New-Zealand-assassination-attempt-South-Island |author=Zoie O'Brien |title=Revealed: How teenager tried to assassinate the Queen in shocking plot |work=Express |location=United Kingdom |date=13 January 2018 |access-date=15 January 2018}} According to police files, Lewis was being asked about an unrelated robbery, when he took police to the position where he had fired at the Queen and showed police the empty casings and the rifle.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/queen-assassinated-attempt-new-zealand-who-teenager-christopher-john-lewis-a8158686.html |author=Barnes, Tom |title=The Queen was almost assassinated by a teenager in New Zealand, former police officer claims |work=The Independent |location=United Kingdom |date=14 January 2018 |access-date=15 January 2018}} The facts of the attempt were classified, until released in February 2018 in response to a request from Fairfax Media.

Lewis unsuccessfully attempted to escape from a psychiatric ward in 1983, when the Prince and Princess of Wales, Charles and Diana, toured New Zealand with their son William.

Later life

Lewis was eventually released, and when a third royal visit occurred the government sent him to Great Barrier Island to keep him away from the royal family.{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/01/589974260/a-teen-tried-to-shoot-queen-elizabeth-in-1981-intelligence-report-says |title=A Teen Tried To Shoot Queen Elizabeth In 1981, Intelligence Report Says |date=1 March 2018 |access-date=1 March 2018}} He was later charged with the 1997 murder of a young mother, Tania Furlan, who was bludgeoned to death with a hammer, and the kidnapping of her child.{{cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/101843407/the-snowman-and-the-queen-the-1996-murder-of-auckland-housewife-tania-furlan|access-date=13 March 2018|title=The Snowman and the Queen: The 1996 murder of Auckland housewife Tania Furlan|date=14 March 2018|publisher=Stuff.co.nz}} He electrocuted himself in Mount Eden Prison, Auckland, while awaiting trial.{{cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/100176797/the-snowman-and-the-queen--chapter-five-the-end |title=Would-be assassin died in cell. The Snowman and the Queen chapter five: the end |author=McNeilly, Hamish |work=Stuff |location=New Zealand |date=12 January 2018 |access-date=15 January 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/oceania/intelligence-documents-confirm-assassination-attempt-on-queen-elizabeth-in-new-zealand-20180301-p4z282.html|title=Intelligence documents confirm assassination attempt on Queen Elizabeth in New Zealand|first=Hamish|last=McNeilly|date=28 February 2018|website=The Sydney Morning Herald}} A friend of Lewis, Travis Burns, who had implicated him in the Furlan crimes received a reward for doing so.{{Cite web|title=Travis Burns : serial killer|last=Wishart|first=Ian|date=1 January 2002|website=Investigate (Auckland, N.Z.), Jan 2002; v.2 n.17:p.68-71,94-96|access-date=7 April 2020|url=http://www.investigatemagazine.com/pdf%27s/jan68to73.pdf}}