Murder-accused TikToker 'made up lies on the way to police station'

TikTok influencer Mahek Bukhari was cross-examined by the prosecution on Monday

A TikTok influencer accused of murdering her mother's young lover has told a court she made up lies on her way to a police station.

Mahek Bukhari and seven others deny killing Saqib Hussain and his friend Hashim Ijazuddin, both 21.

The men's car was rammed off the A46 in Leicestershire on 11 February 2022 to keep Ansreen Bukhari and Mr Hussain's affair secret, the prosecution says.

Ms Bukhari also admitted lying to a previous jury on the case.

Leicester Crown Court has heard Mr Hussain, from Banbury, Oxfordshire, had a three-year affair with Ms Bukhari's mother Ansreen.

The court was told Mr Hussain repeatedly threatened to send explicit videos and images of his lover to her husband after she broke it off.

Jurors have heard Mrs Bukhari, 46, and her daughter plotted with six others, driving from their home in Stoke-on-Trent to Leicester and arranging to meet Mr Hussain in a Tesco car park under false pretences.

The prosecution alleges the group, in an Audi TT and a Seat Leon, were attempting to retrieve Mr Hussain's phone to stop the publication of sexually-explicit images and videos of Mrs Bukhari.

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

On Monday, Adam Kane KC - for co-accused Mohammed Patel - asked what Ms Bukhari, 24, saw of the crash.

Ms Bukhari said she did not see what happened to the Skoda Fabia, which was carrying Mr Hussain and Mr Ijazuddin.

"All I remember is closing my eyes as soon as it went towards the central reservation," she said.

Ms Bukhari also denied the prosecution's case that the Skoda was hit by the Seat Leon driven by co-accused Raees Jamal.

Asked how she understood how the Skoda to came to a stop, Ms Bukhari said: "Everything seems like a blur now.

"All I understand is [the Skoda] was going really fast and seeing the Seat Leon trying to overtake the Skoda but the Skoda is going from from one lane to another.

"I don't want to be guessing [how the Skoda came to crash]."

Ms Bukhari, 24, denies murder

Under cross-examination, Collingwood Thompson KC, for the prosecution, asked Ms Bukhari about a number of details she told to police in interview that were proven not to be true.

This included heading to Nottingham to promote a shisha lounge and omitting the fact she was with six others on the night in question.

Mr Thompson said: "So you've invented this story between the time of your arrest and the police interview?"

Ms Bukhari confirmed she had, and wanted to keep the affair between her mother and Mr Hussain from police.

Mr Thompson said: "Do you find it easy to lie? I can count it up but you've told a very large number of lies to police."

In response, she said she did not find it easy to lie.

Ms Bukhari also told the jury Mr Hussain made threats to kill her brother and father in a phone call.

Mr Thompson said this had been "invented" and was "conveniently not in any messages".

The prosecution claims the car carrying Mr Ijazuddin and Mr Hussain was rammed off the road

Mr Thompson asked about a party Ms Bukhari and her mother attended in Banbury, where Mr Hussain was also a guest.

The prosecution say this is the second time Ms Bukhari met Mr Hussain, despite the defendant saying she only met him once to a previous jury.

The first trial collapsed in December 2022 and a retrial began last month.

Mr Thompson said: "It didn't stop you [Ms Bukhari] telling lies to the previous jury giving evidence did it? Even though you were under oath?

"The lie in particular was you only ever met Saqib Hussain once, wasn't it? That was a lie to support your mother wasn't it?"

Ms Bukhari said: "I didn't even want to be at that party, that's why I didn't want to bring it up."

Front, from left: Ansreen Bukhari, Mahek Bukhari, Rekan Karwan, Raees Jamal with back, from 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, 24, of George Eardley Close, Stoke-on-Trent

• Rekan Karwan, 29, of Tomlin Road, Leicester

• Raees Jamal, 23, of Lingdale Close, Loughborough

• Mohammed Patel, 21, 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

All eight deny two counts of murder and alternative charges of two counts of manslaughter.

The trial continues.