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Finsbury Park attacker 'brainwashed by BBC drama and rightwing propaganda' Finsbury Park attacker 'wanted to kill as many Muslims as possible'
(about 3 hours later)
Court hears Darren Osborne’s north London attack on Muslims influenced by Three Girls series Court hears Darren Osborne’s anger was fuelled by BBC drama and rightwing propaganda
Vikram Dodd and Vikram Dodd and
Kevin RawlinsonKevin Rawlinson
Mon 22 Jan 2018 12.49 GMTMon 22 Jan 2018 12.49 GMT
First published on Mon 22 Jan 2018 12.23 GMTFirst published on Mon 22 Jan 2018 12.23 GMT
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A man who drove a van into a crowd near a mosque in a terrorist act intended to kill as many Muslims as possible after becoming “brainwashed” by extremist rightwing propaganda and watching a BBC drama about the Rochdale grooming scandal, a jury has heard. A man who drove a van into a crowd near a mosque intended to kill as many Muslims as possible and had been “brainwashed” by extremist right wing propaganda after watching a primetime BBC drama about a Muslim grooming gang, a jury has heard.
Darren Osborne, 48, denies murdering one man, Makram Ali, and injuring others in Finsbury Park, north London, on 19 June. Darren Osborne, 48, denies murdering Makram Ali,51, and trying to murder others as they left a mosque in Finsbury Park, north London, on 19 June.
Jonathan Rees QC, for the prosecution, told the jury at Woolwich crown court on Monday: “On 19 June 2017, at just after a quarter past midnight, the defendant, Mr Osborne, deliberately drove a heavy Luton box van into a group of Muslims who had gathered in the junction of Seven Sisters Road and Whadcoat Street, in the Finsbury Park area of London. The prosecution claims the act was a terrorist one driven by Osborne’s hatred of Muslims, which his partner said developed rapidly in the weeks before the attack, leaving Osborne “a ticking time bomb”.
“The evidence establishes that the defendant was trying to kill as many of the group as possible. In the event, he killed one person, a 51-year-old man called Makram Ali, and in addition injured many others, some of them seriously.” Osborne drove the van into a crowd of people, some wearing traditional Islamic clothing, flinging some several metres and leaving one with life-changing injuries. Ali died an hour after being run over.
Rees said the hatred and extremism shown in the note Osborne wrote, which was recovered from the van, showed Ali’s death and the injuries to others near the mosque was a terrorist act. The attack came after London and Manchester had suffered terrorist attacks blamed on Islamist ideology. A note recovered from the van Osborne had driven down from Wales railed against Muslims and also attacked London mayor Sadiq Khan and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Rees told the jury: “Although there is no terrorist offence for you to consider in this case, the prosecution say that the note and the comments he made after his detention establish that this act of extreme violence was, indeed, an act of terrorism, designed to influence government and intimidate the Muslim community, and done for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, ideological or racial cause.” The jury at Woolwich crown court heard after the attack Osborne had been saved by an Imam, who protected him despite his attempt to run down Muslims. Osborne was also seen to smile and say: “I’ve done my bit”.
Rees added: “The evidence shows that, although unwell, Mr Ali was alive just before the incident and his death resulted from the defendant driving the heavy van over him as he lay on the roadway.” Opening the case, Jonathan Rees QC, told the jury: “The evidence establishes that the defendant was trying to kill as many of the group as possible.
The jury heard Osborne had hired the van in Wales and driven from Cardiff to London the previous day “looking for a target”. He had intended to attack the al-Quds march but had then decided to attack a mosque in Finsbury Park. “...The prosecution say that the note and the comments he made after his detention establish that this act of extreme violence was, indeed, an act of terrorism, designed to influence government and intimidate the Muslim community, and done for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, ideological or racial cause.”
The attack happened barely one hundred yards away from a mosque, and Ali had become ill and fallen to floor two minutes before Osborne struck. It was just after 12.15am and Muslims were thronging the streets of Finsbury Park, north London, after prayers at two nearby mosques to mark the festival of Ramadan.
Rees said: “To seek to kill someone merely because of their religion is a terrible thing. And what makes this act particularly horrific is that the group he drove into had gathered in the street in order to help Makram Ali, the deceased, who had collapsed as he walked along Seven Sisters Road a couple of minutes before the defendant carried out his attack.”Rees said: “To seek to kill someone merely because of their religion is a terrible thing. And what makes this act particularly horrific is that the group he drove into had gathered in the street in order to help Makram Ali, the deceased, who had collapsed as he walked along Seven Sisters Road a couple of minutes before the defendant carried out his attack.”
The crown said that Sarah Andrews, Osborne’s partner, had not previously regarded him as prejudiced. However, in the weeks before the attack his attitude changed after he watched Three Girls, a BBC TV drama about the Rochdale grooming scandal, and read extremist rightwing propaganda online that left him “brainwashed” and a “ticking time bomb”. Rees told the jury that one witness heard the van “accelerate and the noise of changing gears” as the engine revved up.
Rees told the jury: “Importantly, Ms Andrews will say she noticed that the defendant had become obsessed with Muslims in the weeks leading up to the incident. He accused them all of being rapists and belonging to paedophile gangs. The catalyst for his obsession appears to have been the broadcast of the BBC drama Three Girls, which they had watched together on the television. The drama was based on the true stories of victims of the Rochdale grooming gangs which comprised men of mainly British Pakistani origin.” Ali’s family were in court and were visibly moved as they watched CCTV footage of the attack.
Osborne became obsessed with the scandal, the court heard, researching material on the internet from Tommy Robinson, co-founder of the English Defence League, and became increasingly vitriolic in his anti-Muslim rhetoric. Ali was found by a pathologist to have been alive when Osborne’s hired van struck him. Rees told the jury: “Makram Ali was run over by the van and his body moved a short distance. He appeared dead. There was a tyre mark across his torso and his tongue was hanging out.”
Rees told the jury: “The defendant started making racist comments about all Muslims raping children and being capable of blowing people up. It appeared to her that he was becoming brainwashed.” The prosecution said Osborne did not show remorse after the attack, but was heard by witnesses to say: “I’ve done my job. You can kill me now.” Rees said a witness claimed the attacker was “constantly smiling”.
Rees, for the crown, said: “Ms Andrews pleaded with the defendant to stop, telling him that all Muslims did not behave in this manner, but he was not interested in her views. With the benefit of hindsight, she describes him as a ticking time bomb.” Rees said Osborne was seen hitting out at people as he tried to escape the throng, and said: “I want to kill more Muslims.”
After the BBC drama was broadcast, Islamist terrorism was blamed for attacks on the Manchester Arena, on 22 May 2017, and then London Bridge on 3 June 2017. An Imam stepped in to save Osborne and Rees told the jury: “So, it was a Muslim who stepped in to save the defendant from suffering any further violence. “
These attacks, according to Osborne’s partner, seemed to “fuel the rage inside him”.
Investigators spoke to Osborne’s partner Sarah Andrews, who said that in the weeks before the attack his attitude changed after he watched Three Girls, a BBC TV drama about the Rochdale grooming scandal. He also read extremist rightwing propaganda online that left him “brainwashed” and a “ticking time bomb”.
The jury heard that Andrews said in a witness statement that Osborne had become “obsessed” with Muslims and an avid follower of social media postings by the former EDL leader Tommy Robinson, as well as members of the far-right group, Britain First.
The jury heard the pair had watched the BBC drama Three Girls and, in her statement, Andrews said she believed Osborne had become angry “about seeing young girls exploited” and developed his fixation with Muslims from that point.
“In recent weeks, he has become obsessed with Muslims, accusing them all of being rapists and being part of paedophile gangs,” she said.
Later, she added that Osborne “seemed brainwashed” and had been watching content posted online by Robinson and a woman she thought may be the deputy leader of Britain First, Jayda Fransen, leading him to seek out more online.
Smartphones and computers showed Osborne viewing material from Britain First, that “campaigns primarily against multi-culturalism and what it sees as the Islamisisation of the UK”, Rees told the jury.Smartphones and computers showed Osborne viewing material from Britain First, that “campaigns primarily against multi-culturalism and what it sees as the Islamisisation of the UK”, Rees told the jury.
Rees said that, according to Osborne’s partner, he had not worked for a decade and had mental health issues. He added: “Ms Andrews says that the defendant has an unpredictable temperament; she describes him as a loner and a functioning alcoholic.”Rees said that, according to Osborne’s partner, he had not worked for a decade and had mental health issues. He added: “Ms Andrews says that the defendant has an unpredictable temperament; she describes him as a loner and a functioning alcoholic.”
“Ms Andrews recalls that the defendant threatened to take his life on two occasions in the weeks leading up to the incident by putting cable ties around his neck. She says he felt worthless and thought he did not fit in.” Weeks before the attack Osborne tried to kill himself and felt worthless.
The jury heard that Osborne had written a note about his motivation for the attack. It had been found in the van and bore his fingerprints. It railed against the terrorist attacks in London and Manchester in the preceding months, and the Rotherham child abuse scandal.The jury heard that Osborne had written a note about his motivation for the attack. It had been found in the van and bore his fingerprints. It railed against the terrorist attacks in London and Manchester in the preceding months, and the Rotherham child abuse scandal.
It also said “Islam’s ideology does not belong here”, and taunted the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and the singer Lily Allen, jurors heard. It also said “Islam’s ideology does not belong here”, and taunted the London mayor, Khan, the Labour leader, Corbyn, and the singer Lily Allen, jurors heard.
The jury heard that Osborne spent the night before the incident in a pub, where he was heard to say he was “going to kill all the Muslims” and to accuse all Muslims of being terrorists.The jury heard that Osborne spent the night before the incident in a pub, where he was heard to say he was “going to kill all the Muslims” and to accuse all Muslims of being terrorists.
The court heard that Osborne falsely claimed to be in the army and, challenged by a soldier on which regiment he had served with, he said: “You will find out tomorrow.”
The trial began on Monday at Woolwich crown court in south-east London. Osborne appeared in the dock on Monday wearing a dark blue shirt and grey trousers and confirmed his identity.
The attack happened just after midnight on 19 June, when a rented van was driven into worshippers leaving Muslim Welfare House after prayers for Ramadan. Ali died from his injuries and others were wounded.
Osborne denies the murder of Ali and the attempted murder of people at the junction of Seven Sisters Road and Whadcoat Street, which is close to the mosque.
The trial continues.The trial continues.
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