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Presenter André Walker, who works for the Rupert Murdoch-owned Talk station, has been found guilty of assault, after dragging a protester into a room without CCTV at a Republicans Overseas dinner during Donald Trump’s state visit.
The pro-Trump dinner at Windsor Guildhall on 16 September 2025 saw two Fossil Free London activists stand up at the front and chant “If you drill baby drill, how many will you kill?” while holding banners.
While the female protester was led to a nearby entrance, Mr Walker dragged NHS doctor Kush Naker through the middle of the room and into a side room — which, in a YouTube video after the incident, he mentioned had no CCTV, while putting his thumbs up and grinning.
Dr Naker accused Mr Walker of pinning him on the ground and attempting to punch him, knee him in the groin and strangle him, efforts Dr Naker told the court he had to overpower.
Mr Walker repeatedly said “I’m nearly 50” while visibly out of breath when a camera did eventually enter the room.
At a judgment hearing at Reading Magistrates’ Court today, District Judge (Magistrates’ Court) Pankhania told the pro-Trump YouTuber and News UK presenter: “I am satisfied that the defendant attempted to punch Dr Naker.”
The judge found of the attempted punches: “I am not satisfied that any of those landed” — but Mr Walker’s actions amounted to assault nonetheless.
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In a hearing on 30 July, which this outlet also covered, Mr Walker and his defence, former Conservative justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland KC, attempted to claim the Talk host was trying to defend the paintings from the protesters. But no evidence was given that they would attempt to do so.
The judge found: “Dr Naker didn’t have a bag or anything in his hands when he stood up. His back was to the painting. At no point before his approach does he turn to the many pieces of art.”
“There is no evidence that any of the protesters threatened to cause damage… There is no evidence in the Mayor’s Parlour [the private side-room] that Dr Naker moved towards the art or threatened to move.”
The judge found that Mr Walker “did not reasonably hold the belief that he needed to defend the artwork” — and that this defence only emerged strongly three months after the incident.
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Mr Walker appeared to have added to his problems by publishing prolifically on YouTube about the trial and the incident.
The judge found: “The YouTube video is instructive about the defendant’s mind.” In one video immediately after the assault, Walker described “having a fight with the protesters”, mentioned the artwork briefly but nothing further, grinned with a double thumbs-up about the lack of CCTV, called the protesters terrorists, and asked for donations to his Patriot Fund.
“I do not find that the artwork threat was genuinely held,” the judge said.
The judge also noted that Mr Walker “admitted in his police interview that he may have used unreasonable force.”
The prosecution stated that Walker “dragged Dr Naker into the Mayor’s Parlour, held him down, kneeling on him, and made some punches which did not connect”. She submitted to the court that the dragging and kneeling on Dr Naker — neither of which was contested — amounted to substantial force.

EXCLUSIVE
EXCLUSIVE: André Walker, accused of assault by beating over a clash with a Fossil Free London activist during the President’s state visit, continues to front shows for the Murdoch-owned station
Josiah Mortimer
Dr Naker reported having a sore wrist, a sore jaw and a sore tongue after the incident, as well as…