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

[RusselSprout]

Why the Audi TT stopped further up the A46​

After the fatal collision on the A46 the two cars came off the A46 near Willoughby in the Wolds. He was asked why. He replied: "The purpose of stopping was to swap drivers."
He was asked if he was also checking for damage to the Audi and he said that was not what happened.
He was asked about a call from mobile phone of Mohammed Patel - in the Audi TT - to Raees Jamal in the Seat. The call continued for seven minutes. He was asked if he either spoke on the call or overheard the call.
He said: "They were conversations I overheard." That contradicts what Mohammed Patel had told police - he claimed he held his phone up to Karwan's ear so Karwan could communicate with Jamal.

Karwan lied on defence case statement​

Mr Rainsford has told the jury that Karwan only admitted he was the driver of the Audi recently - his signed defence case statement said he was just an occupant of the car.

Mr Rainsford asked him why he said that in his signed statement. He said he understood Mahek Bukhari was going to say she had been driving the Audi and didn't want to contradict her.
He added: "Also, I was a disqualified driver and that got me quite worried as well."
Mahek has already admitted that her defence case statement failed to mention anything about her mother's relationship with Saqib. And Raees Jamal's defence case statement described a collision "immediately" before the fatal crash which he contradicted in the witness box, saying there was no contact except about a mile before the crash site.

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

 

[RusselSprout]

'No reason' defendants were walking together around Leicester after crash​

From about 2am the defendants, except Mohammed Patel, spent time walking around Leicester. Some of their trip was caught on CCTV. Mr Rainsford asked Karwan what the point of them all walking around together was.
He replied: "We didn't have any discussion about what we were doing or where we were going. I wanted to go home and this was my route to my home anyway.
"There was literally no point. I wanted to go to my house. The majority of it was silence.
"There was conversation about what happened, how it happened. Everyone was asking questions of each other."

Ski mask just for keeping warm​

In a clip from a CCTV camera in Gipsy Lane, Karwan is clearly seen wearing a ski mask over his face. Mr Rainsford asked him what he was wearing. He replied: "That's a ski mask."
He was asked: "Did anyone give that hat to you?" He said no. He was asked: "What happened to it?" and he replied: "I've still got it."
Mr Rainsford asked him: "Was there any reason you wanted to cover your face?" Karwan said: "The only reason was it was cold."

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

 

[RusselSprout]

Raees Jamal called while Rekan Karwan was at morning prayers​

During the day time Raees Jamal called Karwan for 22 seconds. Karwan was asked why and he said: "At that time I don't know because I was at morning prayers." He said that in the conversation he just told Jamal he could not speak to him.
Karwan called Jamal back later on Friday evening, he said, to tell him he was heading home and the following day they went to London together.

Karwan's account differs from co-defendant's police interview​

In Mohammed Patel's police interview he claimed he and Rekan Karwan were standing together when the Skoda containing the crash victims arrived at Tesco. He described the Skoda's occupants seeing them and fleeing. Patel said in the interview: "The Skoda has seen us two men standing at the top of the stairwell".
Karwan said he did not notice the Skoda at all.
Patel also described how at one point the Audi "swung into the back of the Seat" and Karwan said that was not true and there was no contact.
Patel also said the Skoda hit the Audi. Karwan said: "That never happened, either."
And Patel also described a phone conversation with Karwan telling Raees Jamal to "ram" the Skoda but Karwan denied that. Mr Rainsford said: "Did you encourage Mr Jamal to ram the other vehicle?"
Karwan said: "No, not at all."

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

 

[HongKongPhooey]

All these different versions bring into question the validity of any of them, IMO!

 

[RusselSprout]

Patel had been smoking cannabis​

Patel, who at one point in his police interview claimed Rekan Karwan was "pressuring him" had also admitted being high when the incidents at Tesco and on the A46 happened.
Mr Rainsford said to Karwan: "We've heard evidence about Mr Patel abusing cannabis that night."
Karwan replied: "I didn't see anything but I smelled it on him when he sat next to me in the Audi."

Karwan 'hardly spoke to Ansreen'​

Patrick Upward KC, for Ansreen Bukhari, is the first to cross-examine Rekan Karwan. During the questions, Karwan admits he had met Ansreen twice before but on the day of the crash "hardly spoke to her at all" and that most of the conversation was just between Karwan and Mahek Bukhari.
He also confirmed there were no phone calls between him and Ansreen at any point. He was asked: "Was it clear Saqib wanted to talk to Ansreen?" He said he had a "slight idea".
Mr Upward asked: "You problem that night was to make sure nothing untoward happened?" Karwan confirmed that was correct.

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

 

[RusselSprout]

Ansreen 'upset from the very start'​

Ansreen's barrister next asked Karwan if his client was upset during the drive up the A46 in pursuit of Saqib and Hashim. He replied: "She was physically upset from the very start."
Mr Upward asked: "As you proceeded up the A46 she had her head in her hands, didn't she?"
Karwan said he wasn't sure. He said: "My focus was on the road."

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

 

[RusselSprout]

Plan to lie about Mahek driving​

Christopher Millington KC, for Mahek Bukhari, is next to question Karwan. Karwan's defence case statement was dated June 27 and it said Mahek was always driving the Audi. At that point Mahek had also told the police she was driving that Audi.
Karwan confirmed that he knew what Mahek had told the police and that it was false - because he was driving. Mr Millington asked: "Did you know that she'd been told that by Raees Jamal? That she was told to 'take the rap for this'?"
Karwan said: "I wasn't aware of any of that conversation."
He said: "I haven't lied. I haven't said I was the driver."
Mr Upward said: "You said you didn't have any control of the Audi TT."
Karwan replied: "Maybe that's not the truth." He added: "I had minimal legal advice. It was during the strikes."
He said: "I was confused."

'Being a driver is also an occupant'​

Karwan denied lying in his defence case statement, claiming that describing himself as an "occupant" of the Audi was not untrue. He said: "I accept that I should have said I was the driver but I haven't lied in my defence statement. Being a driver is also an occupant."

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

 

[RusselSprout]

Karwan now admits he lied in defence case statement​

The admission from Rekan Karwan that he was the driver of the Audi came "just before the jury was sworn in", Mr Millington said. Karwan agreed that was true.
Mr Millington reads a part of Karwan's statement that said: "I didn't have any knowledge or control over any person or any vehicle" involved. Mr Millington told Karwan that was "untrue".
Karwan said: "If that's the word you want to use."
Mr Millington said: "At this stage you were denying you were the driver of the Audi. Is that true?"
Karwan replied: "Yes."

Karwan describes crash​

Leonard Smith KC, for Raees Jamal, is next to ask Karwan quesitons. He asked him what he saw when the crash happened. Karwan said: "I saw it heading towards the central reservation. After that, because it was dark, I couldn't see where it went."
He said he didn't see what caused the Skoda to come off the road. He added that he never saw any contact between the Seat Leon and the Skoda Fabia.

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

 

[LouTennant]

All these different versions bring into question the validity of any of them, IMO!

Indeed and now the defence barristers for the others are giving Kerwan a hard time! The pack of lies are collapsing on their heads.

IMO

 

[RusselSprout]

Im still unsure of what my verdicts are though, normally i have an idea by now, even just a gut feeling. I think id need direction from the judge in this case.

 

[LouTennant]

Im still unsure of what my verdicts are though, normally i have an idea by now, even just a gut feeling. I think id need direction from the judge in this case.

So far im guessing Murder for Mahek, Raees and Kerwan. Manslughter for Ansreen.

Im not sure what other options are on the table.

Mo Patel is the difficult one for me. Im convinced he had no real clue how deep this was but was willing
to carry a weapon at the bare minimum.

I dont think any of them are walking.

IMO

 

[RusselSprout]

Karwan didn't see Mohammed Patel being given wheel brace​

Defendant Mohammed Patel gave the fullest account to the police, including telling them he took a weapon and wore a balaclava to the meeting at Tesco. He said the weapon was a wheel brace from the boot of Mahek's Audi TT while they were outside Karwan's house.
Patel's barrister, Sarah Vine KC, asked Karwan if he saw the boot being opened. He replied: "I missed it. I don't know how I missed it."
Ms Vine accused Karwan of being untruthful about that. Karwan replied: "That's just your opinion but I don't remember seeing that happen."

More questions about ski mask​

Karwan has admitted wearing a ski mask over his face while walking along Gipsy Lane alone after the crash but denied having it rolled down before that.
Ms Vine asked: "Do you agree a ski mask has an intimidating appearance?" He replied no.
She asked who else was wearing one. Karwan said: "No one else but me."
He said Mohammed Patel was wearing "something like a beanie".
The jury has previously seen Patel's police interview in which he said he wore a balaclava having been told to bring one.

Mohammed Patel 'mistaken' about balaclavas​

Karwan was asked if he knew about Mohammed Patel's claims about the men wearing balaclavas and Karwan confirmed he did. He was asked if he knew about Saqib claiming he was being chased by men in balaclavas and he confirmed that also.
Ms Vine asked Karwan: "Do you think Mohammed Patel is mistaken about balaclavas or that he's lying?" Karwan said he thought his co-defendant was mistaken.

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

 

[Legal]

So Kerwan is using the barristers' strikes as an excuse for lying! And being an occupant of the car is the same as being a driver! I'm sure these excuses and manipulation of words/ evidence is not endearing them to the jury at all. No remorse for the people who died.

I'm not sure wrt charges for Ansreen. This whole fiasco was down to her when it comes to it and she went along for the ride, didn't try and stop anyone. I've been googling about oblique intent, and I'm not 100% sure but it seems that if the defendant's aim wasn't to bring about serious injury/ death, but death or serious injury could have been foreseen as a virtually certain result of the defendant(s)' actions, and the defendant realised this, the mens rea would be fulfilled. However, it's over 10 years since I studied criminal law so I may very well be wrong!

 

[Legal]

Rekan Karwan cross-examination continues​

The jury is back in court and Rekan Karwan is being cross-examined by Mohammed Patel's barrister, Sarah Vine KC.
Karwan is asked more about face masks. He said he had a ski mask and two of the others were wearing "Covid masks".

Questions over Tesco phone call​

In his evidence, Karwan has claimed he had not spotted the Skoda containing Saqib Hussain and his friend Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin until near Sainsbury's in Rushey Mead, Leicester, while Mohammed Patel, who was with him at Tesco in Hamilton, spotted it when they were in the Tesco car park.

At that point Patel called Raees Jamal, who is in a different part of the Tesco car park. Karwan was asked the purpose of that call and he replied he did not know. He said Patel and Jamal were talking for about five minutes.

Ms Vine asked: "Was there a need for the phones - Mohammed and Raees - to be connected?" He replied: "There was no need".

 

[Legal]

Karwan denies Patel wanted him to slow down​

Ms Vine asked: "Did Mohammed Patel ask you either to stop or slow down?" He replied: "No he didn't." He also said he had not heard Patel say over the phone to Raees Jamal, 'What the **** are you doing?'
He said that earlier in the drive from Tesco towards the A46 he had been following the Skoda because Mahek was trying to get Saqib to stop by persuading him. He said: "It became a pursuit after the Hobby Horse Roundabout."
Ms Vine asked: "Mahek got very frustrated?" He replied yes. He was asked if Mahek was heard saying, 'Watch what I do to you' to Saqib and he said he did not hear that.
He was asked if, after the crash, he recalled that Mohammed Patel "said something about wanting to dial 999" and he said no.

Karwan 'knew nothing about getting phone off Saqib'​

Collingwood Thompson KC is next to ask questions of Rekan Karwan. He asked Karwan: "Have you left any significant matter out of your evidence?" Karwan said no. He then asked if he was more aware of what was happening that Raees Jamal and Karwan confirmed that was true.

Mr Thompson said that Raees Jamal had been giving evidence earlier in the week about trying to get material from Saqib's phone. Karwan has not mentioned knowing about the phone. When Mr Thompson asked what Karwan knew about the phone at the time of the Tesco meeting he replied: "That's what [Raees Jamal] said but at the time I wasn't aware of any phone."

Mr Thompson asked: "You weren't aware that was one of the purposes of going to Tesco? Despite the fact that you had more contact with Mahek Bakhari - she didn't tell you but she did tell Raees?"

He said: "I had no idea about any phone being taken from Saqib."

Karwan questioned about what he knew about Ansreen​

Rekan Karwan was in text contact with Saqib, telling him not to blackmail Mahek and also discussing payments. But Karwan has insisted again he did not know the explicit pictures and videos the blackmail involved were of Mahek's mother, Ansreen. He said he thought they were of Mahek herself.

But in messages from Saqib to Karwan there were three mentions of Saqib wanting to speak to Mahek's mother. One said: "Tell her to get her mum to call me." Another said: "I need to speak to her mum".

Karwan was asked if it seemed strange Saqib wanted to speak to Mahek's mother and he said it was. But he said: "I didn't really listen to that."

 

[Legal]

Karwan planned to be only extra person at meeting​

When Mahek and her mother were first heading to Leicester, Karwan said he planned to go to the meeting to support Mahek but no one else was due to go with him at that point.

Mr Thompson asked: "At this stage you thought it would only be you turning up at this meeting?" He said yes.

Mr Thompson asked: "Even though you knew he threatened to come to Stoke 'with mates'?" Karwan confirmed he was going alone with Mahek and her mother.

He has previously said he was with the others because they were going out together. Mr Thompson said: "This story about how you were all going to go out later is an out-and-out lie." Karwan said it was not.

Natasha Akhtar's prison phone call​

Mr Thompson asked Karwan about a call Natasha Akhtar made from prison. In the message Akhtar said to a woman: "We made up a story and we're going to stick to the story. We just said we were on our way to Nottingham and these boys... lost control and because our cars were there they thought it was us."

Mr Thompson asked about the story and Karwan said he did not know anything about a story and that he had no plans to go to Nottingham. Mr Thompson said: "The only time a story could have been made up was when you were walking around the streets of Leicester together".

Karwan said: "I have no idea about the story."

Skoda's visit to Narborough Road Tesco​

Karwan was asked about CCTV footage of Saqib and Hashim's Skoda Fabia arriving at a different Tesco - New Park Street supermarket off Narborough Road - at 12.46am on Friday, February 11.

According to Karwan's evidence, that happened before anyone suggested meeting Saqib at Tesco in Hamilton. Mr Thompson asked Karwan if that was a coincidence that Saqib had gone into a Tesco car park and then left again. He replied: "I'm just as confused as everyone about that. It's a pure coincidence, yes."

 

[Legal]

Karwan did not ask anyone to go to Tesco meeting with him​

Karwan said again that the idea to go to meet Saqib at Tesco in Hamilton came up for the first time outside his house. He said there was never a decision that all of them would go. He said: "I didn't want anyone to go. They were just in the cars. I didn't ask anyone to go to Tesco."

Mr Thompson said: "Did you tell them you were going to Tesco?" Karwan said: "I didn't tell anyone. It was Raees Jamal's idea to go to Tesco's."

Mr Thompson said: "It crossed your mind this meeting might be dangerous?" Karwan said yes.

Mr Thompson asked: "Knowing that, you didn't say anything to anyone about going to Tesco? Were you happy about them being exposed to that risk?"

He said he didn't know what was said to the others about the meeting at Tesco.

'Mahek didn't mention paying over the money' at Tesco​

Mahek sent messages to Saqib ahead of the Tesco meeting telling him the money for the blackmail had been sorted out. Karwan told the jury he had no money with him at Tesco. He said: "I wasn't aware Mahek told Saqib she had the money ready."
He said he thought the purpose of the meeting was just to talk about the money. Mr Thompson asked: "If you turned up at the meeting with no money, how was that going to help?"
Karwan said: "Mahek didn't tell me she promised Saqib the money."
Mr Thompson said: "Here's Saqib coming all the way from Banbury, you're saying this was to talk to him and stop the blackmailing. How was this going to stop the blackmailing?"
Karwan replied: "Mainly what he wanted was to speak to Mahek and her mum." He added: "I really don't know how the conversation was going to go."

'Four of us wearing a face covering'​

Giving more details on the face coverings men were wearing, Karwan told the jury that Ammeer Jamal and Sanaf Gulammustafa both had Covid masks with them that night, while Mohammed Patel was wearing a ski mask similar to his one.

He was asked if he often goes to shisha bars with a ski mask and he said that he did sometimes because he wore the ski mask at work, where he is car mechanic.

Choice of parking spot at Tesco​

The jury has heard that the Seat and Audi stopped a long way from the supermarket. Mr Thompson asked Karwan if he was trying to avoid being near to the floodlights and the CCTV cameras. He replied: "I didn't see any cameras."

Why the cars parked in separate locations​

The jury has heard that after the eight defendants got to Tesco, the Seat went to a spot a distance from Mahek's Audi, while Karwan and Patel got out of the Audi and stood near the steps.

Mr Thompson asked if they all separated so that Saqib wouldn't see how many of them there were in the car park. Karwan replied: "He would have felt uncomfortable and hence why we separated."

Mr Thompson said the defendants were setting a trap for Saqib and that Karwan and Patel were looking out for Saqib arriving. Karwan said: "We didn't set no trap and I didn't see a Skoda enter the car park."

 

[Legal]

Karwan convicted of driving whilst disqualifed the week before​

Mr Thompson has revealed more about Karwan's past driving offences. Karwan has already said he got disqualified from driving after getting points for motoring offences. He also had a conviction for driving after his ban, which he appeared in court for on February 2 - nine days before the fatal crash.

Mr Thompson asked Karwan why he decided to drive the Audi himself. He replied: "I wanted to know where the Seat had gone. It had gone suddenly without telling us."

Mr Thompson said: "You were a disqualified driver and had appeared at court on February 2 for an offence of driving whilst disqualified. Why did you think it was okay to drive?"

Karwan said: "Mahek was busy on the phone and I didn't want to take the risk of being a passenger."

When asked why he did suggest Ansreen drove instead he said: "I wanted to drive. I've never seen Ansreen drive that car."

Mr Thompson said: "You didn't care about the fact the law said you can't drive." He replied: "At that moment I didn't think about it, no."

 

[Legal]

Saqib suggested stopping somewhere else'​

Karwan told the jury that after they all drove out of the Tesco car park Mahek was on the phone to Saqib. He said there was a conversation at the traffic lights outside Sainsbury's in Troon Way. He said at that point Saqib had suggested stopping at Sainsbury's - but then drove off.
Mr Thompson said: "At the end of that conversation, did Mahek say something like, 'See what I can do to you'?" Karwan said he didn't remember that.
After that call, Saqib called 999. Mr Thompson asked Karwan why Saqib might have called 999. Karwan said: "I wouldn't know why he was calling 999 but it might have been because I was behind him."

There's no reason for me to silence him'​

Mr Thompson accused Karwan of trying to force the Skoda to stop. He said: "He didn't want to stop, did he?" Karwan replied: "I don't know, I'm just the driver. I don't know what he's thinking at that stage."

When asked about what Mr Thompson called the other two cars "boxing" the Skoda in, Karwan said he wanted to "slow him down gradually until he stopped."

He added: "If he was to stop and I spoke to him I would make it clear he needed to stop and Mahek had our support.

"Mahek is not alone and she's got my support."

Mr Thompson said another way to stop Saqib would be to silence him. Karwan replied: "There's no reason for me to silence him."

'No reason to silence Saqib'​

Mr Thompson tells Karwan the plan was clearly to ram Saqib off the road to silence him permenantly becuase he was a blackmailer and was refusing to stop for them as they pursued him up the A46.

Karwan answered: "There was no reason for anyone to silence Saqib. That's still not a reason to silence someone permanently."

 

[Left Thoughts]

So far in MOO all defendants have given very contradictory accounts, however there are two (excluding the other 3 Seat occupants who have not been heard from yet I believe) that I think will be seen in a lenient light and that's Ansreen and Mohammed.

Ansreen is a central part of the overall story and was the original connection to Saqib. She was in the Audi passenger seat throughout the whole chase however nobody has implicated her in any threatening plot during testimony. In fact her testimony seemed to only dig her own daughter's (Mahek) 'grave' further.

Mohammed was smart to talk to the police as he did, although it's obviously likely it is a censored version to portray himself in a good light. However Mohammed has given the clearest account and very early on in police intervention which the rest of the accused have not as far as we know now.

Again, all MOO.