TikTok murder trial told one driver 'struck fatal blow' but 'all defendants guilty'

A jury in the trial of TikTok star Mahek Bukhari and seven other people has been told that all eight defendants were part of a plot to kill or seriously harm two young men who died in a crash on the A46.

The jury members have been told by the prosecution that the crash was caused by a car ramming the Skoda containing Saqib and Hashim as they fled a meeting with the eight defendants which had been held a few minutes earlier at Tesco in Hamilton, Leicester.

It is claimed that ramming the Skoda caused it to crash, killing the two occupants.

The deceased, Saqib Hussain and Hashim Ijazuddin, died instantly when their Skoda Fabia smashed into a tree and caught fire.

All eight defendants face two charges of murder and two alternative charges of manslaughter.

The prosecution case is that Raees Jamal was driving the Seat Leon that collided with the Skoda, causing the fatal crash, but that all of the defendants, who were in either the Skoda or an Audi TT that was also involved in the incident, are guilty of murder.

Prosecutor Collingwood Thompson KC said: "It's for the prosecution to prove, with each individual defendant, that he or she is guilty of the charge.

"The prosecution will only prove their case if, having heard all the evidence in the case, you are sure of his or her guilt. Nothing else will do."

He said the jury had to be sure that the defendants each intended to cause the crash victims grievous bodily harm or else to kill them.

'The pursuit lasted just over 10 minutes'

The crown's case is that Raees Jamal "must have foreseen death or serious injury" when he rammed the car off the road while driving the Seat Leon.

Raees Jamal was the "principle offender", Mr Thompson said. "He struck the fatal blow."

But he added that Rekan Karwan, driving the Audi TT, was "acting in concert" with Raees Jamal to stop the Skoda from getting away.

Mr Thompson said all eight of the pursuers had a "shared intention" to cause Saqib harm, and that the passengers - as well as the drivers - were supporting the criminal activity.

He said: "This was not a pursuit that lasted just a few seconds or a couple of minutes.

"The pursuit lasted just over 10 minutes."

'They're hitting into the car really fast'

"That was a shared and common intention, the Crown allege, to inflict at least really serious harm, either at the Tesco car park, or later.

Therefore, they were assisting and encouraging the commission of the murders by their presence."

Mr Thompson said the 999 call Saqib made moments before the fatal crash, in which he said "they're hitting into the car really fast", was of "crucial importance" when the jury came to think about whether or not the crash had been an accident.

All eight defendants are accused of murdering both men and also face two alternative manslaughter counts, but deny any wrong-doing.

The trial continues.

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