Finsbury Park attack trial - as it happened: Darren Osborne claims another man took wheel of van and then 'vanished like Dynamo'

Father-of-four denies being behind the wheel of van as it hit Muslim worshippers

More tributes were left yesterday to the victims of the Finsbury Park attack (AP)

The alleged Finsbury Park attacker has claimed another man ploughed a van into Muslims and then “vanished”.

Darren Osborne returned to the stand on Wednesday morning, telling the jury the deadly attack was carried out by a man called Dave, who was not seen by witnesses or recorded on CCTV.

“He’s like Dynamo, he’s an illusion, an illusionist, he can make himself vanish perhaps, I don't know,” he told the jury.

Mr Osborne claims he, Dave and another man called Terry Jones planned to attack a pro-Palestinian march in London but that he had no knowledge of an attack in Finsbury Park and was not driving at the time.

Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC said the defendant’s “absurd” account was a “desperate attempt” to get himself off the hook.

He denies charges of murder and attempted murder over a van ramming Muslims leaving Ramadan prayers on 19 June, which killed one man and injured nine other victims.

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Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC accused the defendant of “fabricating” the account, which was not presented to lawyers until Friday, after hearing the evidence against him.

The defendant told the jury he met Dave and Terry in a pub in Treforest, but two managers from The Pick and Shovel previously described him as a “loner” who drank by himself.

The father-of-four said the original plan was to kill a Labour politician who allegedly wrote a reference for an abuser, but that “we just wanted more casualties”.

Mr Osborne said the next target was the Al-Quds Day march that took place in central London on 18 June, and admitted hiring the van to ram it into pro-Palestinian marchers expected to include Mr Corbyn and Mr Khan.

Mr Osborne said road blocks and security “thwarted our plans” so they decided to look for a nearby mosque and settled on Finsbury Park because it was inside Mr Corbyn’s constituency.

He said he drove there alone without a specific plan and that Dave “hopped” inside the van as it drove through a tunnel and switched into the driver’s seat shortly before the ramming.

He claimed he moved into the passenger footwell to change his trousers, adding: “All I remember is peering over the van as he turned left in the collision and I just remember the impact, it reminded me of a Hungry Hippo... and then the door opened and Dave was gone.”

While being cross-examined by Mr Rees, he said he could not explain how Dave disappeared without being caught on CCTV or seen by dozens of witnesses.

Police have found no evidence of anyone apart from Mr Osborne inside the van and said there was no point where it could have stopped in Finsbury Park to let another person get in.

Survivors told the court there was only one person inside the cab during the attack, and saw only one man – Mr Osborne – flee the vehicle afterwards.

Footage previously played to the court showed Mr Osborne telling police he was the van’s driver after being arrested and he allegedly told another officer: “I’m flying solo, mate.”

Mr Osborne claimed he decided to abruptly submit the defence statement on Friday after “a lot of soul-searching”.

He could not explain several inconsistencies between that statement and his testimony in court.

Mr Rees told him: “I suggest that Dave and Terry’s participation in these events is a total fabrication - it’s a fabrication that came about when you saw the prosecution could prove the case against you.”

Key Points

• Prosecution tells court Darren Osborne carried out attack alone out of 'hatred for Muslims'
• Jury urged to disregard 'absurd' claims a man called Dave ploughed van into crowd and disappeared
• Father-of-four claims he planned attack with two men called Dave and Terry Jones
• Defendant tells jury they originally wanted to attack Rochdale politician and kill Jeremy Corbyn at pro-Palestinian march
• Prosecution argues Dave and Terry are 'fabrications' created on Friday in response to their case
• Mr Osborne told police on the night: 'I'm flying solo, mate', jury told
• Witnesses tell court only one person was inside van when it killed Makram Ali

[31 January 2018 12:04 · Lizzie Dearden]

The jury has now left so there is not anything we are able to report until they return this afternoon.

[31 January 2018 12:06 · Lizzie Dearden]

Live blogging will resume when the jury returns this afternoon.

[31 January 2018 14:16 · Lizzie Dearden]

The jury is now back in court and we're about to hear the closing speech by prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC

[31 January 2018 14:24 · Lizzie Dearden]

Mr Rees says the prosecution's case remains that Mr Osborne planned and launched the attack alone, without supposed accomplices Dave and Terry.

The prosecutor says that he act was born of a "hatred of all Muslims that had its roots in the matrial he had watched on television and viewed online"

[31 January 2018 14:26 · Lizzie Dearden]

Mr Rees invites the jury to "dismiss" the claim that a man called Dave was driving the van, adding: "It is hatred for all Muslims that provided the primary motivation for what he was going to do."

[31 January 2018 14:27 · Lizzie Dearden]

He recounts how Mr Osborne's partner described a TV drama on the Rochdale grooming scandal as the "catalyst" for his anger, which was then fuelled by researching associated material online.

[31 January 2018 14:31 · Lizzie Dearden]

Mr Rees said Mr Osborne's note suggested he wanted to inspire "civil unrest" in London.

The prosecution says it seems "vanishingly unlikely" that a man "hell-bent" on killing Muslim marchers at the al-Quds Day rally would then change tack - as Mr Osborne claimed - and hope instead to do a protest or cause a disturbance.

[31 January 2018 14:35 · Lizzie Dearden]

Mr Rees says there is "overwhelming and unchallenged evidence" that Mr Ali was alive just before he was run over and killed.

He says that the offence of murder must have intent, but "what else can one possibly intend if you accelerate a heavy van like that and plough it into a group of pedestrians."

[31 January 2018 14:38 · Lizzie Dearden]

Mr Rees is repeating excerpts from witness statements that described Mr Osborne smiling as he was detained, blowing a kiss to the crowd and telling them: "I've done my job, kill me now."

"He viewed what had occured as mission accomplished," Mr Rees says

[31 January 2018 14:42 · Lizzie Dearden]

Going over Mr Osborne's recorded statement on police footage, he points out phrases like "I had a proper go" and "have some of your own" suggested that he was the driver.

Another police officer at hospital recorded the defendant saying: "I accelerated a van for 20ft into people."