Murder trial begins for eight people accused of A46 Leicestershire car-crash deaths

The trial of eight people accused of murdering two men, who died in a crash on the A46 near Syston in Leicestershire, has started at Leicester Crown Court.

Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin, who were both 21, died in the collision on February 11 2022.

The victims, both from Banbury in Oxfordshire, were in a Skoda Fabia which left the road just before the Six Hills junction near Leicester at around 1.35am.

Ansreen Bukhari, 45, Mahek Bukhari, 23, both of George Eardley Close, Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, Natasha Akhtar, 22, of Alum Rock Road in Birmingham, and Sanaf Gulammustafa, 22, of Littlemore Close, deny the men's murder & manslaughter.

Ameer Jamal, 27, of Catherine Street in Leicester, Raees Jamal, 22, of Lingdale Close in Loughborough; Rekan Karwan, 28, of Tomlin Road, Leicester and Mohammed Patel, 20, of Braybrooke Road, Leicester, also deny the same charges.

Opening the case for the prosecution is Mr Collingwood Thomson KC said:

'This case is about love, obsession, anger, extortion and ultimately murder'.

ITV News Central reporter Rajiv Popat has been at the opening day of the trial in court today.

Mr Thomson KC said those inside the Skoda car were 21 year old Saqib Hussain & 21 year old Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin. They were identified by dental records.

Body-worn video footage from a police officer was shown to the court, showing the fire had ‘well and truly’ taken hold.

Jurors were also shown footage from a lorry dashcam which shows the Skoda in the middle of the A46 carriageway.

The trial continues.