Finsbury Park mosque attack suspect Darren Osborne charged with terrorism-related murder

A British man who mowed down Muslim worshippers with a van outside of a mosque in London this week was charged on Friday with terrorism-related murder and attempted murder.
2 min read
23 June, 2017
Londoners left flowers and messages of solidarity by the scene of the attack. [Getty]
A British man who mowed down Muslim worshippers with a van outside of a mosque in London this week was charged with terrorism-related murder and attempted murder on Friday, officials said.

Darren Osborne, 47, will appear before magistrates in central London later Friday in relation to the charges, police and prosecutors said.

One man, Makram Ali, 51, died from multiple injuries following Monday's attack near Finsbury Park mosque and another 11 people were injured.

Ali had collapsed with a leg problem and was being attended to by fellow worshipers leaving late-night Ramadan prayers when Osborne careered into them with a hired van.

Ali came to Britain from Bangladesh when he was 10. He was married with four daughters and two sons, and had two grandchildren. 

His family has said they were "devastated" by his death. "Our father was a quiet, gentle man," they said in a statement.

Following the deadly attack, locals pinned down the driver and the Imam of the Muslim Welfare House stepped in to stop him receiving a mob beating.

Imam Mohammed Mahmoud was praised for his bravery and courage after he rushed out to ensure the pinned-down perpetrator was shielded from attack until the police arrived.

London police chief Cressida Dick said the incident was "quite clearly an attack on Muslims" and promised a stepped-up police the presence near mosques as the holy month of Ramadan draws to a close.

"Over the past weeks and months, Muslims have endured many incidents of Islamophobia and this is the most violent manifestation to date," Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) head Harun Khan said.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the incident was a "horrific terrorist attack," calling it "deliberate" and aimed at "innocent Londoners, many of whom were finishing prayers during the holy month of Ramadan". 

The terrorist attack was the fourth in Britain in three months, killing a total of 36 people and injuring around 200.