Finsbury Park suspect read Tommy Robinson tweets and Infowars before mosque attack, court hears

An unemployed man accused of ploughing into Muslims outside the Finsbury Park mosque read tweets from Tommy Robinson the day before the attack and received direct messages from the former leader of the EDL, a court has heard.

Darren Osborne, 48, is on trial accused of the murder of 51-year-old worshiper Makram Ali and the attempted murder of nine others after a van drove into a crowd of people as they left the north London mosque following evening prayers around 12:15am on 18 June 2017.

Woolwich Crown Court heard how before allegedly committing the attack, Osborne had read articles online from controversial right-wing conspiracy theorist website Infowars entitled: "Muslims celebrated terror attack in London" – an article dismissed as "fake news" in court.

Elsewhere, prosecutors also said Osborne viewed a tweet sent by an account linked to Robinson discussing the 'day of rage' protests organised in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire as well as repeatedly researching the far-right figure.

The tweet said: "Where was the day of rage after the terrorist attacks. All I saw was lighting candles". The tweet was sent on 17 June, the day before the Finsbury Mosque attack occurred.

The jury also heard that Osborne had received direct messages on Twitter from Robinson inviting him to a march in response to the Manchester Arena attack, reports The Independent.

The message said: "Dear Darren...What [suicide bomber] Salman Abedi did is not the beginning and it won't be the end. There is a nation within a nation forming just beneath the surface of the UK...built on hatred, violence and Islam."

It added: "Politicians have failed to take the necessary steps to keep us safe. It has now been left to us, the ordinary people of the UK, to step up and say 'no more'."

The second direct message which he received on 14 June involved Robinson asking for money to fight a case in which a woman's alleged rapists were not prosecuted.

The message said: "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 court also heard how Osborne told a barmaid at the the Hollybush pub in Pentwyn the night before the Finsbury park attack that he was going to write a letter to parliament before allegedly telling her "There is a lot of raping and pillaging out there" while ordering a drink.

He is also accused of writing a note in the pub near Cardiff asking "Why are their [sic] terrorists on our streets today? We've had 2 Recent terror attacks, our children splattered against the walls of concerts." He also allegedly criticised "ferrel [sic] inbred raping Muslim men hunting in packs preying on our children".

The court previously heard how Osborne had become "brainwashed" into wanting to kill Muslims after watching a BBC drama about the Rochdale grooming scandal.

Osborne denies all the charges against him.

The trial continues.