Worshipper suffered ‘catastrophic’ injuries in van attack, court told
A WORSHIPPER who was struck by a van in an alleged terror attack as he lay collapsed in the street suffered “catastrophic” injuries that would have killed him almost instantly, a court has heard.
Muslims rushed to the aid of Makram Ali, 51, when he fell to the pavement in Finsbury Park, north London, at about 12.14am on June 19 last year during Ramadan.
Approximately two minutes later, he and nine others were hit by a white van, which prosecutors allege was driven at them in a deliberate act of terror by Darren Osborne, of Glyn Rhosyn in Cardiff.
The 48-year-old father of four denies the murder of Mr Ali and attempted murder of “persons at the junction of Seven Sisters Road and Whadcoat Street, London”.
Home Office pathologist Dr Simon Poole, who carried out a post-mortem examination on Mr Ali, told Woolwich Crown Court that his “catastrophic” internal injuries were consistent with “contact with a moving van”.
The court has previously heard from numerous witnesses who described seeing signs of life and movement from Mr Ali in the minutes between his collapse and the crash.
Dr Poole said he believed Mr Ali was alive at the point he was hit by the van, telling the court: “Multiple sources of evidence ... indicate that Mr Ali was alive during the approximate two-minute interval before he was struck by the van.”
Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC said there was “no dispute that this man was run over”. He asked the witness: “Does it come to this? He died because he was run over by a van?” Dr Poole replied: “Yes.”
Mr Rees said: “The injuries he suffered as a result, would you say, given your expertise, that they made a significant contribution to his death?” Dr Poole said: “Yes.”
The trial continues.