A46 trial: Murder-accused saw co-defendant 'ram men off road'

The prosecution claims the car carrying the two men was rammed off the road

A man on trial accused of murder said he watched his co-defendant ram a car off the road, killing two people.

Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin and Saqib Hussain, both 21, died on the A46 in Leicestershire on 11 February 2022.

Mohammed Patel, whose police interview was played in court on Friday, and seven others are charged with murder.

Prosecutors allege the group rammed the men, from Banbury, off the road to keep an affair between co-accused Ansreen Bukhari, 46, and Mr Hussain a secret.

The jury at Leicester Crown Court has heard Mr Hussain had been threatening to send explicit videos and images of his lover to her husband after she broke off their three-year affair.

The court was told Ansreen and her daughter Mahek, 23, plotted with six others to set up Mr Hussain by getting him to meet them in a Leicester car park under false pretences.

Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin (left) and Saqib Hussain died at the scene

All eight defendants deny two counts of murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter.

The jury heard Mr Patel was contacted by co-accused Raees Jamal on the night of the fatal crash to help him with a "situation" and was told to go to the home of Rekan Karwan, who is also accused of murder.

Mr Patel told police Mr Jamal had "put a wheel brace down his trousers" and later went to the meeting point at a Tesco in Hamilton, Leicester.

When asked by police what he thought was going to happen, Mr Patel told them he was expecting "just to talk".

Mr Patel told officers the occupants of the Skoda Fabia - Mr Ijazzudin and Mr Hussain - fled in the car when they spotted him and Mr Karwan waiting by a stairway in the car park.

The jury heard the defendant got back into the Audi TT belonging to TikTok influencer Mahek, with her mum Ansreen inside with Mr Karwan now driving.

In his interview, Mr Patel said he was under the influence of cannabis and recalls a "heated conversation" between Mahek and a man called Saqib on the phone.

He told officers she said to him: "Watch what I do to you."

It is alleged Mahek Bukhari had a "heated conversation" with Saqib Hussain before he died

The court heard a phone call was then made from Mr Patel's phone, with Mr Karwan speaking to Mr Jamal, who the prosecution say was the driver of the Seat Leon, on speaker.

Mr Jamal told Mr Karwan he was "going to try and stop the guy - I might have to ram him", with Mr Karwan then saying "yeah go on, ram him", the jury was told.

In his police interview, Mr Patel said Mr Jamal's driving was "very erratic" and "reckless" and when the "Skoda guys push past to get through... Jamal has gone and rammed him, the [Skoda] has gone sideways".

Mr Patel added his "initial instinct is to call 999, but they stopped me" and said he was in the "wrong place at the wrong time".

The judge told the jury they must not take Mr Patel's comments as evidence against the other defendants, but only as evidence about himself.

(From front left) Ansreen Bukhari, Mahek Bukari, Rekan Karwan, Raees Jamal with (from top left) Ameer Jamal, Sanaf Gulammustafa, Natasha Akhtar and Mohammed Patel

The defendants are:

Ansreen Bukhari, 46, of George Eardley Close, Stoke-on-Trent

Mahek Bukhari, 23, of George Eardley Close, Stoke-on-Trent

Rekan Karwan, 29, of Tomlin Road, Leicester

Raees Jamal, 22, of Lingdale Close, Loughborough

Mohammed Patel, 22, of Braybrooke Road, Leicester

Natasha Akhtar, 23, of Alum Rock Road, Birmingham

Sanaf Gulammustafa, 23, of Littlemore Close, Leicester

Ameer Jamal, 28, of Catherine Street, Leicester

The trial continues.