Darren Osborne is on trial for a second day for allegedly trying to kill as many Muslims “as possible” with a van in Finsbury Park.
Woolwich Crown Court previously heard he become “brainwashed” after watching a television drama about the Rochdale grooming sex scandal and appeared to become radicalised after reading posts by Britain First and far-right leader Tommy Robinson.
Mr Osborne denies deliberately mowing down 51-year-old Makram Ali, who died of his injuries, and nine other people shortly after 12.15am on 19 June.
Live Updates
“We have to go back to Churchill, Churchill never told us to hold vigils and sing songs, he told us to fight"
The prosecution is currently taking the jury through a file containing evidence from the iPhones and iPad, which were used by Mr Osborne's partner and family.
The relevant activity comprises predominantly web searches…together with other material and in particular Twitter activity.
The court is about to hear evidence from a Metropolitan Police intelligence analyst, Sid Sandhu. It will involve two phones and one iPad recovered from Mr Osborne.
Please allow a moment for the live blog to load
Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC said the “act of extreme violence” was considered by the prosecution to be a terrorist attack.
Mr Osborne, who is said to have accused all Muslims of being rapists and belonging to paedophile gangs, was described by his partner as a “total loner” who would binge drink to “get blotto and forget everything”.
Describing Osborne’s response to watching the BBC drama Three Girls, his partner of 20 years Sarah Andrews said in a statement read to the court: “He seemed brainwashed and totally obsessed with the subject.
“He has been openly saying a lot of racist things and tarring all Muslims with the same brush.”
In the statement she added that she had noticed him reading tweets by former English Defence League leader Mr Robinson.
“I think he was a ticking time bomb. I should have realised what was going on and I feel so bad that I did not see it, so that I could have done something to stop it,” she said.
She added that one of their daughters had been ”too scared“ to bring her Muslim friends home because of the way he was acting.
Opening the trial on Monday, Mr Rees said Mr Osborne ”was trying to kill as many of the group as possible“ as he drove a van into worshippers who had attended Ramadan night prayers near two mosques.
Mr Ali died following the attack and many others were injured, some seriously, the court heard.
Bystanders rushed to the aid of Mr Ali moments earlier after he collapsed, but witnesses said he was conscious before being struck, the court heard.
Mr Osborne denies the the murder of Mr Ali and attempted murder of ”persons at the junction of Seven Sisters Road and Whadcoat Street, London“.
A handwritten note – which complained about terrorists on the streets and the Rotherham grooming scandal, and branded Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn a “terrorist sympathiser” - was found in the cab of the van after the attack.
Mr Rees told the jury: “The underlying theme seems to be that the defendant felt that insufficient was being said or done to counter terrorism and the grooming gangs comprising predominantly Muslim males.
“Against that background, the defendant decided to take matters into his own hands.”
The defendant had driven from Cardiff to London the previous day, originally intending to drive the van into people taking part in the Al Quds Day march, but began looking for another target when this did not prove viable, the court heard.
A number of men tried to prevent the driver’s escape and keep him pinned to the ground as he was heard to say ”I want to kill more Muslims”, Mr Rees said.
Another man in the group remembered the defendant – who was “constantly smiling” – saying: “I’ve done my job, you can kill me now.”
- More about:
- Finsbury Park
- finsbury park attack
- Finsbury Park mosque attack
- Finsbury Park mosque
- Darren Osborne
- Cardiff
- Terrorism
- terror attacks
- far-right extremism
Reuse content