“The Mail on Sunday once ran an article by sometime Labour member Dan Hodges under the headline “Labour MUST kill vampire Jezza”, illustrated by a graphic of Corbyn in a coffin. This was just 10 days after the murder of Jo Cox. You can bet that anyone tweeting, say, “Labour MUST kill harpy Jess” would have been promptly expelled from the party and excoriated in the Mail. Someone at the paper must have belatedly thought better of it, because the online version changed the word “kill” to “dump”. The press whips up hatred and personal abuse far more influentially than lone tweeters and graffitists.”
“A man accused of carrying out a van attack on Muslim worshippers in Finsbury Park last year had earlier hoped to kill senior Labour party figures including Jeremy Corbyn, he has told a jury.”
“Giving evidence on Tuesday, Darren Osborne claimed he picked up another man, whom he named only as “Dave”, as he drove round north London, having failed to attack another target. He alleged it was that other man at the wheel when the attack which killed Makram Ali, 51, took place on 19 June.”
“The target changed to last year’s Quds day march in central London because they could cause more casualties there, he said, adding that they also expected Corbyn to be in attendance as well.”
“Asked by the prosecutor, Jonathan Rees, whether he had planned to kill the Labour leader, Osborne told the jury: “Oh yeah, it would be one less terrorist [on] our streets.” He added: “And if Sadiq Khan [the London mayor] had been there it would have been even better. It would have been like winning the lottery.””
“Earlier Woolwich crown court heard evidence that Osborne had acted alone. In an interview conducted in hospital after he had medical examinations, the court heard that Osborne told a police officer: “I am flying solo, mate.” In an earlier exchange, it was said, he had told another officer he was the driver of the van.”
“The jury heard that during an initial police interview conducted in University College hospital immediately after the incident Osborne told PC Paul Dring no one else had been involved.”
“The jury was also shown footage of an earlier exchange with PC David Jones in which Osborne said: “I lost control of the van … lost control, man.” According to the film, which was shot on PC Jones’s body-worn camera, Osborne answered “yeah” to the officer’s question: “Were you the driver, were you?””
“In witness statements read to the court Ibrahim Ikar and Abdul Matin Chowdhury said the man who jumped out of the van was the driver.”
Read more: Letters: Taking a closer look at abuse in politics, Finsbury Park attack accused ‘wanted to kill Jeremy Corbyn’
Related: twitter.com/TommyCorbyn
2021-week42