Man who tried to kill Muslim woman and 12-year-old girl in 'revenge' for terror attacks jailed for life
Paul Moore told relatives he was 'doing the country a favour' after running victims over with car
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A man who tried to kill a Muslim woman and running over a 12-year-old girl in “revenge” for terror attacks has been jailed for life.
Paul Moore was handed a minimum sentence of 20 years at Nottingham Crown Court and disqualified from driving for life after a judge found he “took satisfaction” in the attack.
Mr Justice Soole told Moore the courage of his victims and compassion of those who rushed to help them from across the diverse the local community “stand in stark contrast to your wickedness”.
"All pedestrians were at risk from you that morning,” he added. “However, the fact remains that you ultimately launched your assault on those who were in Islamic clothing.
"Your intention to kill Zaynab Hussein was underlined by your wicked decision to return for a second assault with the car. It was only luck and her quick thinking that saved your second intended victim from injury."
The 21-year-old told relatives he was “doing the country a favour” after ramming his car into the victims in Leicester on 20 September – five days after the Parsons Green bombing.
Mr Justice Soole said Moore had shown no remorse and there was “reason to believe that he may have taken satisfaction from what he did”, meaning that a sentence short of life imprisonment would not protect the public.
Ms Hussein, a Somali woman who wears a headscarf, was walking down Acer Close when Moore hit her with his Volkswagen.
Nottingham Crown Court previously heard that the driver laughed and returned to run over the wounded woman all four wheels, leaving her with life-changing injuries including a broken leg and fractures to her pelvis and spine.
Moments later, Moore drove at a 12-year-old girl who was walking to school, clipping her but failing to fully run her in nearby Butterwick Drive.
Earlier this month a jury found him guilty of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm with intent and dangerous driving on Friday.
Prosecutors said Moore targeted his victims because of the colour of her skin and clothes “in an act of calculated evil”.
Ms Hussein’s husband, Barre Duale, said he had joined the ranks of terrorists and given his wife a “life sentence” through her injuries.
"He was actually attacking Britain, he was attacking a British mother, a British wife, a productive British worker and charity volunteer,” a statement said.
“He wasn't attacking terrorists, he was joining their ranks by doing what they do and attacking an innocent woman.
"I hope that he thinks long and hard about his actions and is able to understand the error of his ways.“
Moore has a number of previous convictions and was on bail for a separate charge of causing grievous bodily harm when he was arrested for the attack.
The court heard that he defendant launched the attack as revenge for the London 7/7 bombings and the Parsons Green terror attack, which was claimed by Isis.
Moore, of Letchworth Road in Leicester, admitted that he was behind the wheel but denied the attempted murder and GBH with intent charges.
Four other people were in the car with Moore during the incident and begged him to let them out afterwards.
"He was just driving like a maniac,” said Prosecutors said Moore targeted Ms Hussain “purely because of the colour of her skin“ and perceived Islamic faith. ”I thought we were going to be dead. He said 'I feel like running someone over. Anyone'.
"It all happened so fast. He turned the steering wheel and he just hits her out of the blue.”
Later the same day, Moore went to visit his half-brother, who said he had been drunk at the time of the incident.
Lewis Welsh told the court: “He tried to put it down to the London 7/7 bombings. He said he was proud of himself and doing the country a favour.”
Leicestershire Police said Moore dumped the Volkswagen and ran to get into a red Ford Fiesta, which he crashed almost immediately into parked cars before being arrested.
Officers recorded the car ramming as a race and religiously motivated hate crime and said it caused “concern and anxiety” among the local community in Leicester.
The Crown Prosecution Service applied for Moore's sentence to be increased in light of his motivation.
“Moore’s actions were undoubtedly fuelled by his hatred of Muslims and the intent to kill his first victim was clear,“ said Janine Smith, chief crown prosecutor in the East Midlands.
"Moore had expressed a desire to run someone over and the evidence was clear that his motivation for attacking these victims was hostility towards their ethnicity and perceived religion."
Security services have raised the alert over a mounting threat from the far-right since the neo-Nazi murder of Labour MP Jo Cox and Finsbury Park terror attack.
New statistics released on Tuesday show an increasing number of right-wing extremists are being referred to the government's Prevent counter-radicalisation programme.
Campaigners have warned of the potential of “tit-for-tat” violence between Islamists and the extreme right-wing, who are using each other to radicalise new supporters.
The Finsbury Park attacker planned his atrocity in the wake of the London Bridge attack and last month, a Britain First supporter was jailed for trying to mow down the owner of an Indian restaurant after saying he was going to “kill a Muslim”, while a Hitler-obsessive was imprisoned for threatening to petrol bomb mosques in revenge for the Manchester attack.
Additional reporting by PA