Daredevil Briton who was locked up for free-climbing up the Shard is arrested again after scaling 380ft Barcelona skyscraper without safety equipment
- George King took his life in his hands when he scaled Melia Barcelona Sky Hotel
- He was arrested by Catalan regional police and faces a fine as he climbed down
- King, from Oxford in England, is currently travelling around Europe in a van
A daredevil who free-climbed The Shard in London has been arrested again after scaling a Barcelona skyscraper without equipment.
George King took his life in his hands again when he scaled one of Europe’s highest skyscrapers in Barcelona on Friday without any ropes or safety measures.
Crowds watched as the 21-year-old British free climber made his way to the top of the 116-metre (381 ft) Melia Barcelona Sky Hotel in the Spanish city.
King, originally from Oxford, scaled the Barcelona skyscraper in just 45 minutes without safety equipment
Crowds watched as the 21-year-old British free climber made his way to the top of the 116-metre (381 ft) Melia Barcelona Sky Hotel in the Spanish city
He first climbed the 310-metre (1,017 ft) The Shard building in London in 2019, the highest tower in the United Kingdom, without any safety apparatus
As he was coming down, he was arrested by the Mossos d’Esquadra, the Catalan regional police and faces a fine.
‘When I was at the top I felt that I was in another dimension of bliss,’ King said. ‘When I met the police on the way down my head was still in the clouds.’
King, from Oxford in England but currently travelling around Europe in a van, has also climbed the 144-metre (474 ft) Agbar Tower skyscraper in Barcelona.
He scaled the Barcelona hotel in about 20 minutes.
He first climbed the 310-metre (1,017 ft) The Shard building in London in 2019, the highest tower in the United Kingdom, without any safety apparatus.
The feat earned him six months in a young offenders’ centre for breaching a civil injunction taken out by the owners of the building.
After King scaled The Shard, he was given a 24-week sentence.
His parents appeared on Good Morning Britain to slam the verdict, claiming that the criminal justice system was ‘making an example of an elite athlete’.
Hilary and Clive King-Thompson told the flagship programme that the prison term was ‘outrageous’ and ‘a complete shock’.
The climber shared this shot on his Instagram after scaling the Shard on July 8, 2019 and closing London Bridge station
King-Thompson (pictured) scaled the structure in just 45 minutes and the building’s owners took him to court for breaching an injunction
King had climbed the building from the ground floor to near the very top in just 45 minutes in July 2019.
He admitted being in contempt of court after disobeying injunctions about scaling the structure and was locked up in a young offenders institute for six months on October 21.
‘Somebody like George can be so useful in the community, give him community service, don’t lock him away,’ his mother said.
Mr King-Thompson pointed out that while his son received a custodial sentence, 17-year-old drug driver Max Coopey got 100 hours’ community service after killing two pedestrians.
‘He’s amazing I admire him for doing his own thing,’ his mother added. ‘He’s so passionate and that’s his message that he wants to get out to the world. Nothing I say or do will stop him doing what he wants to do – I admire him for that. It’s an incredible achievement, he’s an elite athlete.’
