This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-65754546
The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
Next version
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Murder-accused TikToker denies being responsible for fatal crash | Murder-accused TikToker denies being responsible for fatal crash |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| TikTok influencer Mahek Bukhari is on trial at Leicester Crown Court | TikTok influencer Mahek Bukhari is on trial at Leicester Crown Court |
| A TikTok influencer accused of murdering her mother's former lover has told jurors she was not responsible for the car crash that killed him. | A TikTok influencer accused of murdering her mother's former lover has told jurors she was not responsible for the car crash that killed him. |
| Mahek Bukhari accepts being a passenger in a car that was pursuing Saqib Hussain and his friend Hashim Ijazuddin, who also died in the crash. | Mahek Bukhari accepts being a passenger in a car that was pursuing Saqib Hussain and his friend Hashim Ijazuddin, who also died in the crash. |
| However, she claims she was merely following the car in the hope Mr Hussain would stop and they could talk. | However, she claims she was merely following the car in the hope Mr Hussain would stop and they could talk. |
| She denies two counts of murder and alternative charges of manslaughter. | She denies two counts of murder and alternative charges of manslaughter. |
| During cross-examination at Leicester Crown Court on Wednesday, she was asked by prosecution barrister Collingwood Thompson KC about the moment she saw the Skoda Fabia leave the carriageway before it crashed. | During cross-examination at Leicester Crown Court on Wednesday, she was asked by prosecution barrister Collingwood Thompson KC about the moment she saw the Skoda Fabia leave the carriageway before it crashed. |
| He asked: "Did you regard yourself as in any way responsible for what happened to the Skoda?" | He asked: "Did you regard yourself as in any way responsible for what happened to the Skoda?" |
| Ms Bukhari, who had been in an Audi TT, replied: "No." | Ms Bukhari, who had been in an Audi TT, replied: "No." |
| Mr Thompson asked: "Did you think that the Skoda had crashed?" | Mr Thompson asked: "Did you think that the Skoda had crashed?" |
| She replied: "No. I saw it going towards the central reservation." | She replied: "No. I saw it going towards the central reservation." |
| When he pressed her on this, she said: "I didn't think the Skoda had crashed. I don't know what I was thinking. I had just seen it go towards the central reservation and that's it." | When he pressed her on this, she said: "I didn't think the Skoda had crashed. I don't know what I was thinking. I had just seen it go towards the central reservation and that's it." |
| The two men died when their Skoda Fabia crashed into a tree beside the A46 in Leicestershire | The two men died when their Skoda Fabia crashed into a tree beside the A46 in Leicestershire |
| Mr Hussain and Mr Ijazuddin died in the early hours of 11 February 2022, when the Skoda Fabia crashed into a tree beside the A46 in Leicestershire and burst into flames. | Mr Hussain and Mr Ijazuddin died in the early hours of 11 February 2022, when the Skoda Fabia crashed into a tree beside the A46 in Leicestershire and burst into flames. |
| The prosecution's case is that the car was intentionally forced off the road. | The prosecution's case is that the car was intentionally forced off the road. |
| Prosecutors say the motive for the alleged murders centres around an affair Mr Hussain had been having with Ms Bukhari's mother Ansreen Bukhari, 46, who is one of the co-defendants. | |
| After Mrs Bukhari ended the affair, the court heard Mr Hussain, 21, had been threatening to send sexual photos and videos of her to her husband and son. | After Mrs Bukhari ended the affair, the court heard Mr Hussain, 21, had been threatening to send sexual photos and videos of her to her husband and son. |
| The trial has also heard Mr Hussain had been demanding up to £3,000 he had spent on dates with Mrs Bukhari during their affair, and a meeting was arranged at a supermarket car park in Leicester to hand it over. | The trial has also heard Mr Hussain had been demanding up to £3,000 he had spent on dates with Mrs Bukhari during their affair, and a meeting was arranged at a supermarket car park in Leicester to hand it over. |
| However, the prosecution say the mother and daughter were planning to seize Mr Hussain's phone containing the explicit material. | However, the prosecution say the mother and daughter were planning to seize Mr Hussain's phone containing the explicit material. |
| Hashim Ijazuddin (left) and Saqib Hussain, both 21, died at the scene of the crash | Hashim Ijazuddin (left) and Saqib Hussain, both 21, died at the scene of the crash |
| CCTV footage of the car park shows Mr Hussain and his friend never got out of their car, and the prosecution say this was because they became suspicious. | CCTV footage of the car park shows Mr Hussain and his friend never got out of their car, and the prosecution say this was because they became suspicious. |
| Instead, their Skoda Fabia left the car park, followed by a Seat Leon and Audi TT containing the defendants. | Instead, their Skoda Fabia left the car park, followed by a Seat Leon and Audi TT containing the defendants. |
| Mr Thompson said telematics from the Audi TT showed it had been travelling at about 100mph (161km/h) before the crash. | Mr Thompson said telematics from the Audi TT showed it had been travelling at about 100mph (161km/h) before the crash. |
| He asked Ms Bukhari: "What was so urgent that you had to keep pursuing this vehicle? The fact is, he was showing no signs of wanting to stop for you to talk, was he?" | He asked Ms Bukhari: "What was so urgent that you had to keep pursuing this vehicle? The fact is, he was showing no signs of wanting to stop for you to talk, was he?" |
| She replied: "I understand, but I was just hoping he would stop." | She replied: "I understand, but I was just hoping he would stop." |
| Mr Thompson asked: "Was the reason for this urgency because you were desperate to get hold of his phone to delete the incriminating pictures?" | Mr Thompson asked: "Was the reason for this urgency because you were desperate to get hold of his phone to delete the incriminating pictures?" |
| She replied: "No." | She replied: "No." |
| Mr Thompson said: "That's why there was this pressure. Not because you were desperate to talk to him but because you were desperate to get the material off his phone." | Mr Thompson said: "That's why there was this pressure. Not because you were desperate to talk to him but because you were desperate to get the material off his phone." |
| She replied: "No." | She replied: "No." |
| Mahek Bukhari had posted on social media about being close to her mother | Mahek Bukhari had posted on social media about being close to her mother |
| Raees Jamal, who was driving the Seat Leon, told jurors he felt some responsibility for the deaths. | Raees Jamal, who was driving the Seat Leon, told jurors he felt some responsibility for the deaths. |
| When asked why, he said: "Because I feel like at the time if I wasn't driving as fast, and if he [Hashim Ijazuddin] wasn't driving as fast, it wouldn't have led to the tragic accident." | When asked why, he said: "Because I feel like at the time if I wasn't driving as fast, and if he [Hashim Ijazuddin] wasn't driving as fast, it wouldn't have led to the tragic accident." |
| He admitted there had been contact between the Seat Leon and Skoda Fabia at one point, but said this had been unintentional. | He admitted there had been contact between the Seat Leon and Skoda Fabia at one point, but said this had been unintentional. |
| "I didn't want to damage my car at all or risk anyone's life," he said. | "I didn't want to damage my car at all or risk anyone's life," he said. |
| Front, from left: Ansreen Bukhari, Mahek Bukhari, Rekan Karwan, Raees Jamal with back, from left: Ameer Jamal, Sanaf Gulammustafa, Natasha Akhtar and Mohammed Patel | Front, from left: Ansreen Bukhari, Mahek Bukhari, Rekan Karwan, Raees Jamal with back, from left: Ameer Jamal, Sanaf Gulammustafa, Natasha Akhtar and Mohammed Patel |
| Mr Jamal told jurors he had gone to the meeting to support Ms Bukhari, who told him Mr Hussain had been blackmailing her with fake sexual images of her. | Mr Jamal told jurors he had gone to the meeting to support Ms Bukhari, who told him Mr Hussain had been blackmailing her with fake sexual images of her. |
| "She said if she didn't pay the money he would publicly expose her or go down to her house with a group of guys," he said. | "She said if she didn't pay the money he would publicly expose her or go down to her house with a group of guys," he said. |
| "She asked me to come for support just in case anything got out of hand, because she felt scared by this guy that was threatening her." | "She asked me to come for support just in case anything got out of hand, because she felt scared by this guy that was threatening her." |
| The defendants are: | The defendants are: |
| Ansreen Bukhari, 46, of George Eardley Close, Stoke-on-Trent | |
| Mahek Bukhari, 24, of George Eardley Close, Stoke-on-Trent | Mahek Bukhari, 24, of George Eardley Close, Stoke-on-Trent |
| Rekan Karwan, 29, of Tomlin Road, Leicester | Rekan Karwan, 29, of Tomlin Road, Leicester |
| Raees Jamal, 23, of Lingdale Close, Loughborough | Raees Jamal, 23, of Lingdale Close, Loughborough |
| Mohammed Patel, 21, of Braybrooke Road, Leicester | |
| Natasha Akhtar, 23, of Alum Rock Road, Birmingham | Natasha Akhtar, 23, of Alum Rock Road, Birmingham |
| Sanaf Gulammustafa, 23, of Littlemore Close, Leicester | Sanaf Gulammustafa, 23, of Littlemore Close, Leicester |
| Ameer Jamal, 28, of Catherine Street, Leicester | Ameer Jamal, 28, of Catherine Street, Leicester |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |
| Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. | Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Leicester | Leicester |
Previous version
1
Next version