GUILTY UK - Hashim Ijazuddin, 21, and Saqib Hussain, 20, car crash A46 Leicester 11 Feb 2022 *Murder Arrests*

[RusselSprout]

Rekan Karwan went to morning prayers after fatal crash​

Raees Jamal told the jury he tried to call his co-defendant Rekan Karwan but couldn't reach him because he was in his mosque at morning prayers. Jamal then contacted Mahek instead, instructing her in a text to tell the police that it was just her and her mother, Ansreen, in the Audi. In reality, two of Jamal's friends were also in the car.
There was then a phone call between Jamal and Mahek, which happened while the police were downstairs at her home in Stoke. Jamal said: "That was my suggestion, to say it was just Mahek and her mum."
He was asked why he told Mahek to lie to the police. He said: "It weren't my situation, it was hers".

Live updates from day 19 of Mahek Bukhari TikTok murder trial

Eight people are on trial for killing Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin

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[RusselSprout]

'Getting rid of phones was my idea'​

The jury has already heard how Jamal, his cousin Ammeer Jamal, Rekan Karwan and Mohammed Patel all switched their phones at a Leicester phone shop during the daytime after the night of the crash. Jamal admitted it was his idea.
He said: "I didn't want anything linked to me. I thought getting rid of anything would be the best way out."
He went on to describe fleeing to London with Rekan Karwan for the weekend. His mother called him to tell him the police were looking for him and he returned to Leicester on Monday and handed him into a police station.
He said: "I felt guilty about what happened."
Mr Thompson replied: "Mr Jamal, it was because you knew the police would catch up with sooner or later".

Jamal accused of knowing about Ansreen Bukhari's involvement​

The jury has been told that Mahek Bukhari's mother was being blackmailed by her former lover, Saqib Hussain, who had naked pictures and explicit videos of her. But Jamal has insisted he was not aware Ansreen was involved and thought the explicit material featured Mahek.
Mr Thompson accused him of knowing that it was really all to do with Ansreen but he denied that. He said: "My knowledge was only Mahek Bukhari was being blackmailed."
Mr Thompson said: "If that's the case then she kept that from you." Jamal said: "Yes she did."

Live updates from day 19 of Mahek Bukhari TikTok murder trial

Eight people are on trial for killing Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin

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[RusselSprout]

Jamal takes responsibility but denies trying to hurt anyone​

The cross-examination is over and now Leonard Smith KC, Jamal's own barrister, has an opportunity to ask more questions to clarify anything brought up in the cross-examining.
Mr Smith asked: "At any stage that night did you attempt to harm anyone?" Jamal replied "no".
Mr Smith asked: "Is there any part of your driving that caused that Skoda to come off the road?"
Jamal said: "Just me trying to overtake him and him swerving off the lanes."
Mr Smith said: "So you do accept you drove dangerously and that was partly a cause of the Skoda going off the road?" Jamal replied: "That's correct."

Live updates from day 19 of Mahek Bukhari TikTok murder trial

Eight people are on trial for killing Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin

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[Tortoise]

Didn't Mahek worry that Jamal would see that the material on Saqib's phone was all of her mother? Was he going to take the phone, or delete what was on the phone?

 

[RusselSprout]

Rekan Karwan called to the witness box and about asked his height​

Defendant Rekan Karwan, dressed in a sky-blue suit, has now been called to the witness stand my his barrister, Mark Rainsford KC. He was sworn in on the Koran and gave his name. The next question from Mr Rainsford was: "How tall are you?"
He replied: "Possibly five three or five four." He said he was 28 and lived with his partner in Leicester.
He confirmed he was behind the wheel of the Audi when the fatal collision happened. He was asked: "Do you feel any sense of responbility for the deaths of those two young men?"
He said: "I feel partly responsible. I feel like due to my driving, speeding and at one point being quite closed to the rear of the Skoda might have caused them some distress and some panic.
"I tried to undertake him at the start of the A46, just after the Hobby Horse Roundabout."

Live updates from day 19 of Mahek Bukhari TikTok murder trial

Eight people are on trial for killing Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin

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[RusselSprout]

'It was quite dangerous'​

Describing trying to get past the Skoda, Karwan said: "At the beginning of the Hobby Horse Roundabout I was at the rear. You've got a sliproad on the left and that would make the road quite wider.
"I've taken the opportunity to undertake him [the Skoda] because there wasn't room on the right. The Seat was behind.
"The Skoda wanted to be at the front and to do that he would have to move me out of the way and that's what happened - he came very close to my car.
"I swerved out of the way and nearly lost control in that Audi."
Mr Rainsford asked: "So you were driving dangerously?" He replied: "It was quite dangerous, yes."
He was asked if he intended any harm to anyone and he replied no.

Live updates from day 19 of Mahek Bukhari TikTok murder trial

Eight people are on trial for killing Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin

www.leicestermercury.co.uk

 

[RusselSprout]

Karwan 'just wanted to talk'​

Karwan was asked why he had gone to Tesco with the others and he said: "We hoped some sense of words to Saqib would make him stop the blackmail."
He was asked why the cars went after the Skoda after it fled from the Tesco car park. He said: "It was to stop the Skoda and to speak to Saqib and to let the ladies speak to Saqib as well."
He added that he never saw any contact between either of the defendants' cars and the Skoda.

Karwan was disqualified from driving​

Karwan has admitted he was driving Mahek's Audi TT at the time of the fatal crash and also confirmed that he pulled of the A46 after the fatal crash and switched with Mahek, who took over the driving.
Karwan told the jury: "I was a disqualified driver and didn't want to be stopped by the police."
He said he only realised there had been a serious crash on the way back down the A46 - after switching drivers - and saw the Skoda on fire.

Live updates from day 19 of Mahek Bukhari TikTok murder trial

Eight people are on trial for killing Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin

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[RusselSprout]

'I was worried that the police won't believe anything I say'​

Mr Rainsford asked why Karwan didn't go to the police after the crash. He replied: "I was scared and worried that the police won't believe anything I say and would hold me responsible for what had happened.
He was then asked why he got rid of his phone after the fatal crash. He said: "Raees Jamal suggested it and I thought that would be a good decision."
He was then asked why he went to London for the weekend after that. He said: "I was going to London that weekend anyway, even if that situation didn't happen. Possibly on Sunday I would collect my partner for the airport because she was arriving from abroad."
He said he didn't pick her up in the end. He said: "I wasn't in the mindset at the time."

'No threats in phone calls to Saqib​

Karwan confirmed he had called Saqib ahead of the trip to Leicester to try to stop the blackmail. He said: "I spoke to him because the blackmailing was going on and I wanted to act as a conduit to tell him that what he was doing wasn't right. It was wrong.
"I was hoping he would listen and realise what he was doing wasn't right. There was no threats whatsoever and I've used words like 'brother' and 'bro' - these words I use with my friends."

Live updates from day 19 of Mahek Bukhari TikTok murder trial

Eight people are on trial for killing Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin

www.leicestermercury.co.uk

 

[RusselSprout]

'I had a ski mask, yes - it's part of my PPE'​

Unlike Raees Jamal, who was the last one in the witness stand, Karwan has admitted wearing a ski mask.
He said: "It was rolled up like a beanie hat on my head. I wear ski masks for work on a daily basis. I'm a mechanic. I fix cars. It's a dusty environment, it's an oily environment and it's cold. It's part of my PPE."
However he denied covering his face with it while driving the Audi or at any time before the collision. He confirmed he was wearing the ski mask after the crash when back in Leicester. He said: "I was alone so I rolled it down beacause I was alone and because it was cold."
He was asked why being alone made him want to wear a ski-mask. He said: "It's not the purpose of hiding my face, I feel comfortable doing it when I'm alone."

Live updates from day 19 of Mahek Bukhari TikTok murder trial

Eight people are on trial for killing Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin

www.leicestermercury.co.uk

 

[RusselSprout]

Karwan denies trying to ram Skoda​

Karwan said the Audi never made contact with either the Skoda or the Seat and he also denied ever trying to ram the Skoda.
He has also denied knowing that anyone in the two cars had weapons.

Karwan asked about relationships with other defendants​

Mr Rainsford asked Rekan Karwan about his relationship with Ansreen Bukhari and he said he had met her twice and only knew her through Mahek. He said Mahek was a friend. He said: "I know her well."
He described Raees Jamal as a friend he knew well and had known a long time and trusted. They first met when they were at school about 10 years ago.

The other defendants​

Karwan said he knew Ameer Jamal "quite well" and met him two years ago through Raees Jamal, Ameer's cousin, and they often socialised together.
He said he also knew Sanaf Gulamustafa through Raees Jamal and they socialised "sometimes". He said Natasha Akhtar was also someone he socialised with "sometimes".
He said Mohammed Patel was someone he "knew of" but was not a friend.

Karwan denies knowing about "threat" texts from Mahek to Saqib​

Mr Rainsford read out a series of messages from Mahek Bukhari to Saqib, which Mr Rainsford described as containing threats. Karwan denied knowning about those messages.
Saqib called Karwan, he told the jury, after Karwan tried to call Saqib but couldn't get through. Karwan said: "I told Saqib he should stop messaging [Mahek] and blackmailing her and if money is a problem we can sort money out if it's genuinely owed to you."
Mr Rainsford if there was anything "menacing" about the call and Karwan said no. He said he believed he was "acting in good faith". He said: "I was advising him to stop the blackmail."

Live updates from day 19 of Mahek Bukhari TikTok murder trial

Eight people are on trial for killing Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin

www.leicestermercury.co.uk

 

[RusselSprout]

Karwan denies knowing about Mahek's plan to head to Leicestershire​

The jury has already heard how Mahek told Saqib she was heading to Leicestershire before Saqib had left his home in Banbury, Oxfordshire. Karwan denied knowing about Mahek's plans at that point. He told the jury he was just going out to socialise and that it was normal for him to stay out late.
At 12.42am on Friday, February 11, Mahek rang Karwan when she arrived in his street. Four minutes later Saqib, in the Skoda, went to another Tesco in Leicester. He said he knew nothing about why the Skoda did that.
He said that when Mahek arrived at his home with her mother he spoke to Mahek and she told him then that Saqib was "coming down to speak".

Live updates from day 19 of Mahek Bukhari TikTok murder trial

Eight people are on trial for killing Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin

www.leicestermercury.co.uk

 

[RusselSprout]

'No discussion about weapons'​

Mr Rainsford asked Karwan if there was "any discussion about weapons or anything like that" and Karwan said no. He said the plan was just to "speak with Saqib and sort the situation out". He said he still had no idea the blackmail involved Mahek's mother.

'If they get harmful, I'll be there'​

Describing what happened at Tesco in Hamilton he said: "We parked at the closest exit. We waited for Saqib.
"While we were waiting I did not want to be there. It was not my situation so I decided to come out of the car and give Saqib and the two girls space.
"I told Mahek if they get harmful, if they do try anything that might hurt you, then I'll be there. Me and Mohammed Patel moved out of the Audi and away from both cars.
"I told Mahek to tell me if anything bad or uncomfortable happens by phone."

Karwan 'just there if needed'​

He continued: "At that stage we don't know how many people are going to come, how many cars they're going to bring. Phone calls were made between me and Mahek - mostly me asking 'Can you see them? Are they here yet? What car are they in?'
"The Seat also moved for the same reason. It's not our situation. We were just there if needed."
He said no one realised when Saqib drove into Tesco. When he saw the Seat - driven by Raees Jamal - he still didn't realise the Skoda had been and gone.

'My main objective is to see where Seat is going'​

Karwan said he took the wheel of the Audi TT because Mahek was busy on the phone. He said: "My main objective is to see where Seat is going."
He said there was then a phone conversation between the defendants' two vehicles and he went to catch up with the Seat.

Live updates from day 19 of Mahek Bukhari TikTok murder trial

Eight people are on trial for killing Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin

www.leicestermercury.co.uk

 

[RusselSprout]

'I wanted to warn him off'​

When asked why he was pursuing the Skoda, Karwan said: "We were trying to slow down the Skoda to stop the Skoda."
Mr Rainsford asked: "Did you want to scare Saqib?" and Karwan said: "No, I wanted to warn him off."
The barrister asked: "Did you want to harm him?" He replied: "No."

Karwan admits jumping red light​

The CCTV camera footage includes the Audi jumping a red light as Karwan followed the other two cars. He was asked whether he had stopped for the red light. He said: "The Skoda and the Seat carried on and so did I."
On the A46 he described the three cars driving in a line up the dual carriageway. He again described trying to get past the Skoda, attempting to undertake the vehicle. He said: "The Skoda kept trying to block overtaking attempts made by the Seat. The Seat was also trying to overtake."

Live updates from day 19 of Mahek Bukhari TikTok murder trial

Eight people are on trial for killing Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin

www.leicestermercury.co.uk

 

[RusselSprout]

'He decides to come swerving towards my car'​

Karwan said the Skoda swerved to block him when he attempted to overtake the Skoda. He said: "He would swerve onto the right lane and then come back onto the left lane.
"As I tried to undertake the Skoda I've gone ahead maybe three quarters of a car length. At this point the only way the Skoda can get in front is by squeezing in the middle of the two cars.
"He would either have to push me out the way or push the Seat out the way, so he decides to come swerving towards my car. I've seen him come close to my car so I swerved to the left to avoid any collision."
He said at that point Mahek told him the Audi was a courtesy car and couldn't get damaged. He said: "After this incident I was always behind both cars."

'No contact between cars'​

Karwan was asked about Saqib's call to the police, claiming he was being rammed. But Karwan said: "I didn't see any contact".
He was asked if he saw what caused the Skoda to go off the road. He said he saw it "leave the road" but didn't know what caused it.
He said the road was not lit and he couldn't see what happened next.

Live updates from day 19 of Mahek Bukhari TikTok murder trial

Eight people are on trial for killing Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin

www.leicestermercury.co.uk

 

[RusselSprout]

Leicester Crown Court​	2​	T20227026 T20227027 T20227046 T20227059​	ameer jamal ansreen bukhari mahek bukhari mohammed patel natasha akhtar raees jamal rekan karwan sanaf gulamustafa​
Details: Trial (Part Heard) - No Event - 11:13 Trial (Part Heard) - No Event - 12:09 Trial (Part Heard) - Witness Number 13 Continues - 14:07 Trial (Part Heard) - Legal Submissions - 16:04 Trial (Part Heard) - Case adjourned until 10:00 - 16:11

https://www.thelawpages.com/court-hearings-lists/Leicester-Crown-Court.php

 

[Legal]

So Rekan Karwan was driving while disqualified!!! I bet when he said he was going to pick his girlfriend up from the airport he was intending to drive as well. So there will have been no insurance coverage either if he'd had an accident.

 

[Legal]

And I wonder why they told us about his sky blue suit and his small stature!

 

[HongKongPhooey]

And I wonder why they told us about his sky blue suit and his small stature!

As someone else said upthread, court sketches would be handy. My guess is, and it really is a guess, that MP is a big lad. The only way he kind of fits with this I think is to bring the muscle so to speak.

 

[LouTennant]

As someone else said upthread, court sketches would be handy. My guess is, and it really is a guess, that MP is a big lad. The only way he kind of fits with this I think is to bring the muscle so to speak.

I do think as well the Mo Patel was there to be scary from the way he looks. My opinion has shifted on MP as im now thinking he is the most honest out of the lot.

He has the loosest connection out of the lot and was probably enticed to go along with the promise of some cannabis that he admitted taking that day.

After the incident he did not walk with the group for an hour and went home instead. In the hour of the others walking is most probably when the cover storey was agreed on.

So he was mainly out the loop and when originally interviewed he actually told a storey mainly matching what the evidence was. He stated that that was a collision directly before the crash (even though not caught on CCTV ) and that he saw masks.

The one thing he cant be honest with is if he was going to harm Sabiq that night. And that does make sense for him.

IMO

 

[RusselSprout]

Rekan Karwan continues to give his evidence to his own lawyer​

Mark Rainsford KC is questioning his client, Rekan Karwan, who is the fourth defendant to give evidence in the trial. Karwan has been asked about Tesco in Hamilton, which is where the two crash victims went to meet Mahek and her mother before fleeing, followed by the eight defendants.

Questions about the choice of meeting place​

Mahek Bukhari has previously told the jury that Tesco was chosen as a meeting place because it was a safe place and well lit. However, the prosecution have said the defendants chose a dark area of the car park to go for their "ambush".
Mr Rainsford asked Karwan if the car park was dark or light. He replied: "It was quite lit, throughout the car park."
He was asked if he was standing at the top of the steps leading from the car park to the main road because he was looking out for Saqib arriving but he said he did not have a good view of the road from where he was standing.

Rekan Karwan didn't take quickest route from Tesco​

Mr Rainsford tells Karwan that if he was in a rush as he followed the Seat Leon, driven by Raees Jamal, he could have disobeyed the rules and gone the wrong way. Mr Rainsford said: "If you were in a terrible hurry you could have ignored the one-way sign and got straight to the traffic island.
"This is 2am, not much traffic around but you chose to go down to the island and back the other way." Karwn agreed that was correct.
Mr Rainsford asked what Karwan was thinking as he left the Tesco. Karwan said: "My objective was to see where the Seat was and to follow the Seat."
He was asked: "Were you in an incredible rush?" Karwan replied: "No, I wasn't. No."

TikTok star Mahek Bukhari murder trial latest from court on day 21

Mahek Bukhari and mother Ansreen Bukhari are among eight people on trial for killing Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin

www.leicestermercury.co.uk