Finsbury Park suspect ‘thrown out pub for shouting about Islam’

The man suspected of driving into Muslims was thrown out a pub for "shouting about Islam" and reported to police 24 hours earlier.

Darren Osborne, a father-of-four from Cardiff, was held after a group of worshippers was struck by a van in Finsbury Park, north London, just after midnight on Monday.

Detectives have been given extra time to question the 47-year-old, who has been arrested oh suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of terrorism including murder and attempted murder.

Osborne is said to have been asked to leave the Hollybush pub in the Welsh capital on Saturday night.

Pub regular Phil Henry said: "He was kicked out of here, the landlord said, for shouting about Islam. He was asked to leave quietly and he went.

"He came in here and he was just staring before he started shouting.

"When he came in the landlord said he was on his own and started shouting ‘I’ll kill every f****** Muslim’."

Edward Gardiner, one of Osborne’s neighbours, said he called police at 12.27am on Sunday to report his concerns for the welfare of a man sitting in a Pontyclun Van Hire vehicle.

A similar vehicle was seen near to where one man died and eleven were injured in Finsbury Park, an incident police are treating as a suspected terror attack.

Mr Gardiner said: "I called police because I saw a random van in my cul-de-sac with someone drunk in it and the door open.

"I could smell alcohol on him and he was grunting and groaning. I poked him but he didn’t respond so I called 101.

"It was a Pontyclun Van Hire van. They said they would sort it out. They didn’t give me a crime reference number, I don’t know if they came out.

He added: "I didn’t think anything about it but then I saw the news reports and it was the same guy, the same van."

Osborne was born in Singapore but grew up in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, where he attended Broadoak Mathematics and Computing College.

He moved to a semi-detached house on an estate in Glyn Rhosyn, Pentwyn, east Cardiff, with his partner, who works as a pub chef, and their children, aged between five and 16.

Police have been searching an address in the area.

The couple are said to have had a turbulent relationship, with Osborne living in a tent in woodland in recent months.

But Osborne, reported to be an unemployed former barman, would regularly see his children.

Osborne’s nephew Ellis Osborne said his uncle is "not a racist" and had never expressed any racist views.

In a statement on behalf of the family, Ellis, 26, said: "We are massively shocked; it’s unbelievable, it still hasn’t really sunk in.

"We are devastated for the families, our hearts go out to the people who have been injured."

He added: "It’s madness. It is obviously sheer madness."

Osborne’s mother Christine, 72, said she was living "every mother’s worst nightmare" and screamed when she saw her son on TV.

She told The Sun: "My son is no terrorist – he’s just a man with problems and I don’t know how to cope with all this."

The worshippers had been at the Muslim Welfare House in Finsbury Park after praying during the holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses said they heard the van driver, who was detained by members of the public at the scene, shout: "I’m going to kill Muslims."

Police said the attack happened while a man, who later died, was receiving first aid after being taken ill.

Toufik Kacimi, CEO of the Muslim Welfare House, said two victims remain in hospital with one in a coma.

Nine others are recovering at home while the man who died was conscious when the incident took place, despite earlier suggestions, said Mr Kacimi.

Police have not made it clear whether there is any link between the death and the attack.

A warrant for further detention for detectives to question Osborne has been authorised until just before 1am on Saturday.

(c) Sky News 2017: Finsbury Park suspect ‘thrown out pub for shouting about Islam’