A British-Pakistani social media influencer and her mother have been declared guilty of the murder of two men in a tragic car collision that saw their vehicle forcefully rammed off the road.
According to BBC, Saqib Hussain and Hashim Ijazuddin, both aged 21, met their untimely demise in February 2022 when their car was violently split into two near UK’s Leicester.
The conviction followed a tense trial during which jurors were informed that the fatal incident occurred subsequent to threats made by Saqib Hussain to disclose an affair he had been involved in with Ansreen Bukhari.
The 46-year-old Ansreen Bukhari and her daughter, Mahek Bukhari, a 24-year-old influencer on the popular TikTok platform, faced the verdict after 28 hours of jury deliberation.
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The mother-daughter duo could not contain their tears as the pronouncement of the jury's decision unfolded. Leicester Crown Court, the venue for the trial, heard crucial evidence, including a frantic emergency call made by Hussain moments before the collision, during which he described being pursued and harassed.
Co-defendants Rekhan Karwan and Raees Jamal were also found guilty of the murder charges. However, Natasha Akhtar, Ameer Jamal, and Sanaf Gulamustafa were convicted of manslaughter instead of murder, while Mohammed Patel was acquitted of both murder and manslaughter charges.
Sentencing for the convicted parties, including the Bukharis, is scheduled for September 1, as announced by Judge Timothy Spencer KC. The aftermath of the verdicts has left both families grappling with the profound loss of their loved ones. The families of Hussain and Ijazuddin shared heartfelt tributes, describing their sons as compassionate, caring individuals.
Detective Inspector Mark Parish of Leicestershire Police condemned the callousness exhibited by the defendants, stating that the tragedy could have been averted if immediate assistance had been sought.
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