Paul Moore jailed for Leicester hate crime car attack

Paul Moore entered no defence to the allegations

A man who hit a Somali woman with his car before going back to run her over as she lay helpless has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years.

Paul Moore, 21, was convicted of the attempted murder Zaynab Hussein after the attack in Leicester last September.

She remains confined to a bed after suffering life-changing injuries.

Moore, of Letchworth Road, Leicester, was also found guilty of attempted grievous bodily harm for trying to drive into a 12-year-old Somali girl.

Mother who was run over twice by attacker

The trial at Nottingham Crown Court heard Moore targeted the pair in revenge for the London 7/7 bombings and the Parsons Green Tube station attack, which happened five days before.

Mrs Hussein, 47, was returning home after dropping off her two youngest children at school when she was knocked down close to the junction of Butterwick Drive and Acer Close in the Beaumont Leys area.

She was thrown by the force of the impact into the wall of a house.

Zaynab Hussein hit the wall of this house, after Moore drove at her

Two young men who were in the car at the time told police unemployed Moore had said he wanted to run someone over.

After the initial impact they fled the still moving car but Moore performed a U-turn and, after passing Mrs Hussein on the ground, mounted the pavement and drove over her again.

He then drove off and spotted a 12-year-old Somali girl, identified by him as a Muslim because of her headscarf, walking to school with her cousin.

Moore drove at her, apparently mounting the pavement again, but this time he clipped her side, sending her bag flying. The girl was unharmed but shaken.

'Can't be a mother'

In a victim impact statement, read by prosecutor Jonathan Straw, mother-of-nine Mrs Hussein said the attack had "completely changed me as a person for the worse".

"I can't be a mother to my children in the way I used to be. This really upsets me and hurts me greatly," she added.

Mrs Hussein also admitted she was "in fear for my children being run over like I was" and said her injuries had forced her to quit her job as a cleaner, leaving her with financial problems.

Jailing Moore for life, Mr Justice Soole said: "The courage of your victims, and the compassion and courage of all those who came to the aid of Mrs Hussein in different ways - and who notably come from across the diverse range of this local community - stand in stark contrast to your wickedness.

"All pedestrians were at risk from you that morning, however, the fact remains that you ultimately launched your assault on those who were in Islamic clothing.

"Your intention to kill Mrs 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 judge added: "In circumstances where you have shown no remorse and where there is reason to believe that you may have taken satisfaction from what you did, the alternatives of an ordinary determinate sentence or an extended determinate sentence would provide inadequate protection to the public."

Janine Smith, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said Moore's actions were "undoubtedly fuelled by his hatred of Muslims and the intent to kill his first victim was clear".