A social media influencer allegedly murdered her mother’s young lover after “ambushing” and ramming him off the road when he threatened to expose the three-year affair with a sex tape, a court has heard.
Mahek Bukhari, 23 – known as Maya – is accused alongside her 46-year-old mother Ansreen Bukhari of killing 21-year-old Saqib Hussain, who died in a car crash on the A46 dual carriageway in Leicestershire shortly after midnight on February 11, 2022.
Mr Hussain and his friend Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin, both 21 and from Banbury, Oxfordshire, are said by prosecutors to have been killed when they were forced off the road, with Mr Ijazuddin’s Skoda Fabia “split in two”.
In a 999 call to police made by front-seat passenger Mr Hussain just moments before his death, he claimed their car was being “rammed off the road” by balaclava-wearing assailants, following in two pursuing cars.
“I’m just getting rammed off the road.”
He can then be heard saying: “Please, I am begging you.”
Mr Hussain was heard to say “Oh my God”, before there was a scream, with the call cutting off abruptly at the sound of an impact.
Footage from police attending the crash scene, at about 1.35am, showed the Skoda in flames, resting against a tree by the Six Hills junction near Leicester.
The court heard how “completely innocent” Mr Ijazuddin agreed to drive his friend to Leicester that night and had been “in the wrong place at the wrong time”, with the favour to Mr Hussain turning out “to be a tragic and fatal mistake”, prosecutors said.
Opening the Crown’s case, Collingwood Thompson KC told jurors it had been the 999 call which was key to the prosecution’s assertion “this was no ordinary traffic accident”.
After his death, Mr Hussain’s family would later tell detectives he had been having a three-year affair with the older woman, who was married with children.
Mr Hussain “appeared to be in love” with Mrs Bukhari, whom he knew as Anzy, while her daughter was “aware of the relationship, and was happy to tolerate it, if not approve of it”, said Mr Thompson.
Although starting off as “a bit of fun”, although with “quarrels” and “break-ups”, for Mr Hussain the relationship “changed” and he later told family “he was in love”.
Over the course of their tryst, Mr Hussain spent up to £3,000 on taking Mrs Bukhari out, the court heard.
“A number of sexually-explicit videos and pictures were found, involving both Saqib Hussain and Ansreen Bukhari.
“The existence of that material is at the very centre of this case because it was what that material could do that the Crown say led to … the murder of these two young men.”
By January 2022, Mrs Bukhari was trying to end the relationship, against Mr Hussain’s wishes.
“He, unfortunately it appears, could not accept that decision.”
Mr Thompson said Mr Hussain sent his former lover a large number of messages showing him “becoming increasingly obsessive about the relationship, professing his love for Ansreen and begging her to continue the relationship.”
“This alternated with messages showing anger and frustration she would not return his calls,” said Mr Thompson.
“This, we say, provides the motive for what happened.
“Because he took to attempting to blackmail Ansreen Bukhari, to persuade her to contact him.”
“What is implicit there, is her husband is going to be told about the affair, as is her son,” added the prosecutor.
On January 4, 2022, Mahek Bukhari sent her mother a message which read: “I’ll get him jumped by guys and he won’t know what day it is.”
When Mr Hussain also tried to get Mahek Bukhari to get her mother to reply to him, the influencer replied: “She ain’t a dog, don’t f****** raise your voice and tell me what to do.”
Later, she allegedly told him: “I am sorry that this year you’ll be gone, Saqib.
Mr Thompson said: “That remark may hold some significance in light of what actually happened in the early hours of February 11, 2022.”
The Crown’s KC told how “other defendants, we say, then became involved in what happened”, claiming it became clear the Bukharis, both of George Eardley Close, Stoke-on-Trent, needed to “silence” Mr Hussain.
Mr Thompson said: “Common sense would suggest the idea was to lure him (Mr Hussain) into a meeting, promising him his money.
“When he got to the meeting, then ambushing him and no doubt hoped when confronted with numerical superiority, he might just hand the phone over.
“And that if he did not – cause Mr Hussain really serious harm to achieve their ends, if not to silence him permanently as will become apparent.”
On February 8, 2022, the Crown claimed Mahek Bukhari’s friend 29-year-old Rekan Karwan, of Tomlin Road, Leicester, was brought in, at first, helping in “negotiating with Saqib Hussain over money”.
Also then allegedly involved was Raees Jamal, 22, formerly of Lingdale Close, Loughborough, who was claimed to have “recruited” others, including Natasha Akhtar, 23 , of Alum Rock Road, Birmingham.
Also in the dock are Sanaf Gulammustafa, 23, of Littlemore Close, and Ameer Jamal, 28, of Catherine Street, and Mohammed Patel, 21, of Braybrooke Road, all Leicester.
All eight defendants are accused of murdering both men and also face two alternative manslaughter counts, but deny any wrong-doing.
The trial continues.
