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Finsbury Park attacker ‘brainwashed’ by right-wing extremists

Finsbury Park attacker ‘brainwashed’ by right-wing extremists

Categories: Latest News

Tuesday January 23 2018

New, chilling details have emerged regarding the Finsbury Park attack of 19 June 2017, as the trial of Darren Osborne at Woolwich crown court unveils the dangers posed by far-right propaganda.

The Guardian reports that, according to prosecutors, Mr Osborne, 48, had indeed been “brainwashed” by right-wing extremists after watching the BBC drama ‘Three Girls’ about the Rochdale grooming scandal. Osborne had reportedly become “obsessed” with Muslims, and an avid follower of social media postings by the former EDL leader Tommy Robinson, and members of the far-right group Britain First.

Osborne’s partner, Sarah Andrews, said that he had become a “ticking time bomb” due to his exposure to content posted online by Robinson and by the deputy leader of Britain First, Jayda Fransen. 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”, Andrews told the jury.

Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC also said that, according to Ms Andrews, Osborne 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.”

The prosecution argued that the attack was an act of terrorism. 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 also 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.

In the note, Osborne wrote “Islam’s ideology does not belong here”, and taunted Sadiq Khan, Jeremy Corbyn, and the singer Lily Allen, jurors heard.

Rees said: “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 prosecution also noted that Makram Ali died as a consequence of the attack. Ali, who had collapsed two minutes before the attack took place, was found to have been alive before Osborne drove over him: “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 said, adding: “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.”

Osborne, the prosecution argued, was heard by witnesses to say: “I’ve done my job. You can kill me now.” He was also allegedly “constantly smiling” while carrying out the attack.

The night before the attack, Osborne was in a pub, where he allegedly said that he was “going to kill all the Muslims”, and that all Muslims were terrorists.

Osborne denies murdering Makram Ali, 51, and trying to murder others as they left a mosque in Finsbury Park, north London, on 19 June.

 

Follow MEND on Twitter for regular updates on the trial of Darren Osborne.

 

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