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A man jointly accused with TikTok star Mahek Bukhari of killing two men by ramming their Skoda off the A46 claimed the social media influencer told one of the crash victims, “Watch what I do to you”, in a phone call just minutes before the fatal crash.
Today, at the end of the first week of evidence in the trial, the jury has seen a police video of the interview with defendant Mohammed Patel, who claimed he was reluctant to get involved in the incident on the night of Thursday, February 10, 2022, but had gone to co-defendant Rekan Karwan’s house in Tomlin Road, Northfields, Leicester, where he was given a wheel brace and taken to Tesco in Hamilton. While he insisted he had little idea of what was happening, he was aware they were going to ambush someone who had been trying to extort Mahek, he told the officers.
But, the jury at Leicester Crown Court has been told, crash victims Saqib Hussain and Hashim Ijazuddin realised the meeting at the supermarket was a trap and fled up the A46, where their car was allegedly rammed off the road by a Seat Leon containing four of the defendants.
READ MORE: TikTok star Mahek Bukhari live murder trial court updates on Day 7
Before the crash, on the drive from Tesco to the A46, Patel said he overheard a phone conversation in which Mahek Bukhari, after trying to convince Saqib to stop and talk, made the threatening comment.
Describing what happened moments earlier, in the supermarket car park, Patel said: “We’re waiting for the two people. The Skoda has seen us and took off quite quickly, the Seat Leon driving quite fast behind it.”
“From Tesco the two people are now running away from the situation. The Seat Leon was chasing them. I’m in the Audi behind the driver’s seat, Rekan is now driving [the Audi].
(Image: Leicestershire Police)
“There’s a heated conversation between Mahek Bukhari and one of the occupants of the Skoda – Saqib, I understand. It was a very heated conversation.
“She said, ‘Watch what I do to you’ to Saqib on the phone.”
Describing the moments before the crash, he said the Seat driven by defendant Raees Jamal rammed into the Skoda three times before the Skoda driver, Hashim, lost control and the car “flew” into the central reservation.
He said: “Raees’s driving was very erratic. Now there is a phone call being made to my phone from Raees Jamal’s phone.
“Raees is saying, ‘I’m going to try to stop the guy, I might have to ram him’.” He said Rekan told Raees: “Go on, ram him”.
Patel added: “Rekan was trying to stop this guy. Rekan said, ‘**** it, ram him’.”
Describing the seconds before the crash, Patel said: “[The Skoda] was clipped on the rear driver’s side and been like that two or three times. The Skoda has managed to get back onto the straight.
“In the third instance where he’s clipped him he’s going sideways. The car is literally being dragged, pushing him across the A46.”
All the defendants were charged with two counts of murder following a lengthy investigation by Leicestershire Police. All eight have denied the charges, as well as alternative charges of manslaughter.
The eight defendants are Natasha Akhtar (23) of Alum Rock Road, Birmingham, Ansreen Bukhari (47) of George Eardley Close, Stoke, Mahek Bukhari (23) of George Eardley Close, Stoke, Raees Jamal (22) of Lingdale Close, Loughborough, Rekan Karwan (29) of Tomlin Road, Leicester, Mohammed Patel (22) of Braybrooke Road, Leicester, Sanaf Gulammustafa (23) of Littlemore Close, Crown Hills, Leicester, and Ammeer Jamal (28) of Catherine Street, Belgrave, Leicester.
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