Finsbury Park mosque terror suspect Darren Osborne who ‘ploughed into worshippers leaving one dead’ is revealed as a dad-of-four – as cops raid addresses in his home city of Cardiff
THE terror suspect held after a van ploughed into worshippers outside a Finsbury Park mosque, leaving one dead, has been identified as dad-of-four Darren Osborne.
The 47-year-old is being quizzed on suspicion of attempted murder and terrorism offences as police raid addresses in his home city of Cardiff - including his house.
Osborne was arrested after pedestrians were mowed down near Finsbury Park Mosque in north London early on Monday, killing one man and leaving nine in hospital.
It's understood Osborne grew up in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, before moving to Wales with his partner and their kids, who are aged between five and 16.
Shocked neighbours said he had recently been kicked out by girlfriend Sarah Andrews — and was forced to live in a tent.
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Others claim that he was ejected from the town’s Hollybush pub on Saturday night for drunkenly cursing Muslims.
A regular said: “He got chucked out as he was so drunk."
A 30-year-old neighbour, who declined to be named, said Osborne had previously moved out of the address, but had been living back with his partner and children there over the "past couple of months".
The man's partner added: "He is always arguing in the street with his missus. They usually shout and swear at each other."
What we know so far:
- A van ran down pedestrians on Seven Sisters Road in Finsbury Park, North London just after 12:20am on Monday morning
- One man was killed and ten people were injured outside Finsbury Park Mosque as worshippers left a late evening prayer meeting
- Police have confirmed they are treating the incident as a terror attack
- The terror suspect arrested at the scene and held on suspicion of attempted murder and terrorism offences has been identified as 47-year-old dad-of-four Darren Osborne
- He reportedly screamed "kill me, kill all Muslims" as hero bystanders tackled him to the ground and was filmed blowing kisses from the back of the police van
- The man who died was already receiving first aid and it is not yet known if his death was caused by attack, Met Police have said
- Photos of the van used in the smash show it bearing the logo of a Wales-based rental company
- Police are searching residential addresses in the Cardiff area
- A heroic imam has been praised for his efforts to calm the chaotic situation in the aftermath of the attack.
- The Muslim Council of Britain has condemned the attack and has appealed for calm in its wake
- Prime Minister Theresa May described the attack as "sickening" and visited the scene after chairing a Cobra meeting
- Jeremy Corbyn said he was "totally shocked" and has today visited the scene
His mum Christine, 72, insisted her son was not a terrorist and had never shown any hatred towards Muslims.
She has told how she screamed in horror as she spotted him in TV footage of the attack, and added: “This is every mother’s worst nightmare."
Osborne's sister Nicola, 50, who was celebrating her birthday on the day of the alleged attack, said he had no interest in politics and was no racist.
She added: “He wouldn’t even know who the Prime Minister is.
“I’ve never heard him say anything about Muslims or anything racist.
“My own son is mixed race and Darren loves him to bits.”
Nicola said Osborne rang her at about 3.30pm on Sunday from London — but gave no hint anything was wrong.
She added: “I feel terribly sorry for all of the families hurt by this and for our family too — my mum is going to be broken for life.”
The suspected terrorist, believed to have been born in Singapore in 1969, was apprehended by bystanders with a brave Imam shielding him from angry crowds in a bid to "extinguish any flames of anger" until cops arrived.
As he was bundled into a police van the suspect appeared to wave and blow a kiss while looking out at the scene of devastation left in the North London street.
Images of the van showed it was rented from Pontyclun Van Hire in Pontyclun, near Cardiff.
Osborne was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder with the commission, preparation or instigation of terrorism including murder and attempted murder added later this afternoon.
A guard is in place at his Cardiff home, which is being searched as cops continue to probe the shocking attack.
Security minister Ben Wallace has said the suspect in today's attack was not known to security services.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's World At One, Mr Wallace said: "What I can say on this case is this individual, so far as we know at the moment, was not known to us, but we are aware of a rise in the far right."
The van crashed into pedestrians outside the Muslim Welfare House, close to Finsbury Park Mosque, in north London shortly at 12.20am on Monday.
The area was busy with worshippers who had been attending Ramadan night prayers.
Hero bystanders pinned the terror suspect to the ground in Seven Sisters Road shortly after midnight, with the courageous Imam telling those gathered to "stop hitting him" and wait for cops.
Imam Mohammed Mahmoud, of the Muslim Welfare House, said: "We pushed people away from him until he was taken by police into custody
"There was a group of brothers who were calm and collected and managed to calm people down and to extinguish any flames of anger or mob rule."
One of those who held the van driver, who is believed to have acted alone, down as they waited for cops to arrive said he begged those around to "kill him".
Eyewitness Abdulrahman Saleh Alamoudi said the van swerved towards a group, who had been tending to an elderly man who had fallen at a bus stop close to the Muslim Welfare House.
He said: "This big van just came and went all over us.
“He was screaming before that — I’m going to kill all Muslims.
“He was throwing punches all over.”
Video footage shared online shows a man giving CPR to a victim in the street while another man's head injury was treated with a makeshift dressing.
Witnesses have revealed how people could be heard shouting and screaming amid the chaos and bloodstains were visible on the pavement.
Following today's attack Prime Minister Theresa May defiantly declared "hatred will never succeed" confirming the atrocity, is being treated as terrorism and is believed to have been carried out by a lone wolf attacker.
After meeting with the emergency Cobra Cabinet this morning she described the attack as "every bit as sickening as those that have come before" adding that it targeted "the ordinary and the innocent going about their daily lives".
Mrs May later travelled to North London meeting with community leaders at Finsbury Park Mosque, days after being criticised for initially failing to meet victims of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who lives yards from the horrifying scene, said he was "totally shocked" by the incident and later visited the scene where he was met by applause from members of the public.
Muslim Council of Britain Secretary General Harun Khan said it appeared from eye witness accounts that the perpetrator was motivated by Islamophobia.
Police commissioner Cressida Dick said: "London is a city of many faiths and many nationalities. An attack on one community is an attack on all of us.
“Terrorists will not succeed in their attempts to divide us and make us live in fear.”
Sick ISIS supporters have used the atrocity to call for more attacks against the West.
Twisted messages allegedly sent between pro-ISIS supporters appeared on Twitter, calling on fanatics to “wake up” to “the war starting now in your own streets”.
The Met Police have urged anyone with information to come forward about today's attack.
The incident comes just two weeks after the London Bridge terror attack, where radical Islamists used a hire van to mow people down in the capital.
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