A court has heard that there was no evidence to prove that the car used by TikTok star Mahek Buhkari led to the deaths of two men on the A46 as the vehicle has 'no record of a collision'.
Social media star Mahek Bukhari is one of eight defendants, including her mother, accused of murdering Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin.
The Skoda Fabia driven by Hussain and Ijazuddin crashed into the central reservation on the A46, before hitting a tree and breaking in two.
It was alleged that the car driven by Bukhari was involved in the accident. However, Alan Taylor, who works for a company which leased the Audi TT driven by Bukhari, told Leicester Crown Court on Thursday (10) that there was no evidence of a crash in data from the car.
“I'm employed by a company called AX as a senior asset protection advisor. It owns a large amount of motor vehicles, around 1,500 vehicles. They are usually prestige cars and provided like for like as courtesy cars. One is a grey Audi TT," Taylor told the court.
“From our records this was provided to Mahek Bukhari on December 30, 2021, this was due to her car being in an accident. The grey Audi was delivered to her on December 30. This vehicle had a crash box which will tell me if it has been involved in a crash. The grey Audi does not appear to have any record of it being in a collision during the time it was leased to Bukhari.”
He revealed that police contacted his company after Hussain and Ijazuddin's deaths and asked for full tracking information of the Audi in the days prior to the crash.
Taylor added that several maps showed a journey undertaken by the car between 11.30 pm on February 10 and 9.31 am on February 11.
“Within our cars we have a crash box system installed, it was wired into the telematics system. It is usually correct,” he said.
“Sometimes we will get a notification if the vehicle has gone down a pothole or had the bonnet slammed shut. It is hit and miss. Sometimes we've had notifications when there hasn't been a crash. I don't find it will pick up if there was minor damage, it usually has to be a substantial crash rendering the vehicle undriveable.”
The court earlier heard that Bukhari's mother, Ansreen, had a three-year affair with Hussain who was 21.
He demanded money from the family for not exposing the affair. The Bukharis set up a trap to steal his phone to seize the images. For that, they arranged a meeting in Hamilton.
When Hussan and Ijazuddin, who was also 21,realised that it was a trap they fled the scene. But they were rammed off the road and killed in the collision.
Natasha Akhtar, 22, Ansreen Bukhari, 45, Mahek Bukhari , 23, Raees Jamal, 22, Rekan Karwan, 28, Mohammed Patel, 20, Sanaf Gulammustafa, 22, Ammeer Jamal, 27, are the defendants in the case.
They all have denied murder and an alternative count of manslaughter charges. The trial in this case continues.
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A protestor is detained by the police during a demonstration against the proposed site of the new Chinese Embassy, outside Royal Mint Court, in London. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso.