Finsbury Park trial as it happened: Messages sent by Tommy Robinson to terror suspect Darren Osborne revealed in court
Updates from Woolwich Crown Court after Mr Osborne denies murder and attempted murder
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
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 Robinson and Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First, sent Mr Osborne messages days before the attack, the jury has heard.
Prosecutors said they had not seen the content of a direct Twitter message from Ms Fransen, and that Mr Osborne had screen-grabbed emails from Mr Robinson sent via The Rebel website.
Witnesses told how they overheard the defendant claiming he would "kill Muslims" and describing himself as a "soldier" at a Cardiff pub on the previous evening.
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.
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.
Finsbury Park attack
Show all 14She 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.”
The second message from Tommy Robinson to Mr Osborne came on 14 June and detailed the campaign for 'justice' for a woman whose rapists were not prosecuted, the court has heard.
"Dear Darren, we know about he terrible crimes committed against [name redacted] of Sunderland...police let the suspects go and why?
It is because the suspects are refugees from Syria and Iraq, it’s a national outrage…I know you will be there for her and we will get her the justice she deserves."
The message was requesting money to pay a lawyer to pursue the case.
The court is now hearing details of how Mr Osborne hired the van used in the alleged attack.
Staff at a hire company in Wales said there appeared to be nothing unusual about the transaction and that Mr Osborne, arriving to pick up the van alone, was "polite and well-mannered".
The court is now hearing statements from the Hollybush Pub in Pentwyn, where Mr Osborne drank on 17 June, little over a day before the attack.
Sarah Jenkins, a part-time barmaid, said the man she now knows to be Mr Osborne approached the bar and asked for a pen, telling her: "I want to write a letter to Parliament."
While ordering another Mr Osborne told her: "There is a lot of raping and pillaging out there."
While ordering his third pint, the defendant started talking to a serving soldier at the bar.
Ms Jenkins that the soldier asked Mr Osborne to say the phonetic alphabet and he replied: "I don’t know, it’s B for bacon, isn’t it?"
At one stage, a man sitting with his family told Mr Osborne he did not want to hear his opinions in front of his children. He was asked to leave shortly afterwards
Another member of bar staff, Angelo, described Mr Osborne's behaviour as "very strange" and remembered giving him paper for his letter.
"He started talking at us loudly with authority, he obviously wanted us to listen to what he had to say," he added."He started to tell us about a march in London, he said Muslims were going to March in London tomorrow and 'all Muslims getting together and marching for Isis’."
Mr Osborne was referring to the al-Quds Day March due to be held by pro-Palestinian activists.
In a statement read to the court, Angelo said he "got the impression [Mr Osborne] did not like Muslim people" and staff tried to ignore him before alerting their manager over his comments.
Angelo overheard a conversation between the defendant and a serving soldier, who asked him what regiment is, when he replied: “You’ll find out tomorrow.”
The barman said that he "instantly recognised" Mr Osborne in coverage of the Finsbury Park terror attack, adding: "It completely thew me, I wish I had done more that the time…I wish I had called the police."
Andrew Parker, the landlord of the Hollybush pub where Mr Osborne drank the night before the attack, gave a statement describing him as "agitated and disturbed".
He said Mr Osborne was overheard talking about Jeremy Corbyn and saying Labour was "going to the dogs"
Mr Parker said the defendant was "making comments like ‘no one is doing anything about it’ and complaining tht ‘his brothers and sisters are dying, they’re dying abroad and they’re getting away with it’".
The landlord said bar staff raised concerns and he intitially told Mr Osborne to stop swearing and airing his views.
He decided to throw him out after overhearing a "heated" conversation with a serving soldier
Phil Harris, a lorry driver who was having dinner with his fiancee and step-children in the Hollybush pub, has also given a statement to the court.
He said Mr Osborne was overheard saying he "wanted to write to Theresa May in Parliament" but didn't elaborate on why.
He said he "tried to ignore him" but "heard him say something along the lines of all Muslims being terrorists, he mentioned march by Muslims.
"He was confident in his opinion and believed what he was saying."
Mr Harris said he told the defendant his children "were too young to hear stuff like this" and he later approached him at the bar.
"He appeared agitated saying ‘all Muslims are terrorists’ and something about Muslims marching," he added.
Callum Spence, a Royal Engineer in the British Army, has given evidence to Woolwich Crown Court in person over his encounter with Mr Osborne at the Hollybush Pub.
He said he entered the pub from the beer garden to get a round of drinks for his friends and heard the word "terrorist".
Mr Spence said he heard Mr Osborne saying "I’m going to kill Muslims, your’re family are going to be Muslims, they’re all terrorists and I’m going to take it into my own hands."
He said he challenged Mr Osborne using the phonetic alphabet when he claimed he was a soldier, at which point he "started to get aggressive" before being told to leave.
Evidence about Mr Osborne's evening in The Hollybush pub has now concluded and the court has broken up for lunch.
I'll be back at 2pm to bring you updates from the trial's afternoon session.
Good afternoon everybody, the court is now back in session and preparing to hear evidence about Mr Osborne's journey to London.
Apologies for any spelling errors as we go on through the afternoon.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.