Murderer Darren Osborne has been jailed for 43 years for a terrorist attack in London.
Osborne, who grew up in Weston-super-Mare, was found guilty yesterday (Thursday) of killing one and injuring several others by deliberately driving a van at Muslim worshippers.
Makram Ali, aged 51, died at the scene at Finsbury Park in London during the early hours of June 19 after he was struck by Osborne’s van.
Osborne denied murder and blamed an acquaintance called Dave who he said was driving the van.
When asked to explain how he was in the driving seat and Dave had disappeared, Osborne told jurors Dave was an illusionist and had ‘vanished’.
MORE: Dave vanished like Dynamo the magician, says Osborne.
The 48-year-old, who had denied murder and attempted murder, was seen smiling and blowing a kiss to angry bystanders in the moments after the murderous act.
MORE: Jurors take one hour to convict murderer.
Osborne, who stood with his hands crossed in front of him as sentence was passed, gave no reaction as Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb told him: “This was a terrorist attack. You intended to kill.”
She said he had been ‘rapidly radicalised, adding: “Your mindset became one of malevolent hatred.
“In short you allowed your mind to be poisoned by those who claimed to be leaders.”
Woolwich Crown Court was told Osborne had a criminal record spanning 30 years and had appeared in court on 33 occasions for 102 offences.
He first appeared aged just 15 and went on to commit an array of offences including shoplifting, fraud, burglary and assault.
He was sentenced to two years in prison for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in 2006.
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