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Surrey Police has defended its decision to spend nearly £16,000 chartering a private jet to extradite a TikTok influencer, saying it was the “only viable option” for him to return home.
Harrison Sullivan, 24, also known as HSTikkyTokky, evaded police custody for almost 12 months after a crash in Virginia Water, Surrey, in March 2024, and was deported to the UK last summer.
He was detained in Spain for unrelated reasons in August last year and police confirmed they spent £15,990 to fly him back from Malaga Airport on a chartered flight. However, a judge at Staines Magistrates’ Court on Thursday found the use of a private jet “unnecessary or proportionate”, rejecting an application by the prosecution for £18,049.47 to cover the costs of the flight and additional extradition costs.
Surrey Police justified their decision in a new statement, which read: “Sullivan flew from Malaga Airport in Spain to London Airport on a private charter flight and was escorted by officers from the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) National Extradition Unit.
“The decision to use a private charter flight was based on a risk assessment carried out by the NCA’s National Extradition Unit, after all other options had been considered, which unfortunately did not mitigate the perceived risk.”
But details of the risk assessment were not disclosed in court on Thursday, with District Judge Julie Cooper saying: “In my view it would be unjust or unreasonable for him (Sullivan) to pay for the charter flight because I have not been given a satisfactory explanation.”
Police added in a statement that Sullivan’s extradition to the UK was “vital for road safety in Surrey”.
“Surrey Police is committed to reducing the number of fatal and serious injury crashes on our roads and we will hold those who endanger the lives of others to account,” police said.
“Sullivan was driving in a very dangerous manner.
“He was traveling at 70mph in a 40mph zone and a collision at this speed would normally result in serious injury and death.
“Sullivan subsequently actively evaded police and for the safety of Surrey roads we must return Sullivan to the UK to face trial for the crimes for which he was originally charged.
“Surrey Police therefore funded £15,990 to cover the costs of the flight.”
Sullivan was sentenced to one year’s probation at Staines Magistrates’ Court in November last year after pleading guilty to dangerous driving and driving without insurance.
The social media star was also disqualified from driving for two years, will wear an electronic tag for three months and is expected to complete 300 hours of unpaid work and 30 days of rehabilitation.
Thursday’s hearing heard the total cost to Surrey Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) of bringing Sullivan back to the UK after the accident was £28,350.27.
But Judge Cooper reduced the total costs to £17,320.27 and ordered Sullivan to pay £8,050.27 to Surrey Police and £9,270 to the CPS.
She specifically deducted £10,000 from her police costs claim because she was not satisfied that chartering a private jet to repatriate Sullivan was reasonable.
When prosecutor Kane Alexander told the judge there were concerns that Sullivan, the fitness influencer, might be recognized by the public on a commercial plane, Judge Cooper said: “Mr Sullivan seems to be traveling with impunity by air without putting himself at too much risk, so I don’t quite understand that.”
She added: “I can understand there are issues with social media.
“However, the problem could have been resolved or reduced if the defendant could have been placed in the area on a first-class flight so that he would not be seen in public in handcuffs.”
Defense attorney Sharin Sood further told the hearing that Sullivan was “surprised by the private jet” and was “totally calm and compliant” while in police custody.
“We know that Mr. Sullivan did evade custody, and we know that we will have to incur greater costs than usual, but we will not have to charter a private jet,” she said.
Referring to the costs incurred throughout the investigation, which the court heard required collaboration with foreign agencies including Interpol, Ms Sood added: “Your judge, locating Mr Sullivan was not a complicated matter and he was doing live broadcasts every day.”
Ms Sood also told the judge Sullivan’s income was probably around £2,000 a week but was “inconsistent”.
“There’s no way he could pay it all at once, or even within a year,” she said.
However, Judge Cooper appeared to reject this, asking: “What about his property in the United Arab Emirates?”
She then added: “I’m going to give him six months to pay it and if there’s a problem he’s going to have to come back and explain why.”
The fitness influencer will reportedly appear in Netflix’s Louis Theroux documentary exploring the impact of online misogyny on young boys.
In a video that went viral, Theroux recited a line Sullivan had previously said: “Call me a racist, call me a misogynist, call me a homophobe, call me a liar — I’m all those things.”
Sullivan responded: “That’s my way of saying I don’t care. Say whatever you want about me, that’s what I am, cool. I don’t care. And then what?”