Influencer Mahek Bukhari, mother jailed for life for double murder

A social media influencer Mahek Bukhari and her mother Ansreen have been jailed for life after being found guilty of the “cold-blooded” murder of two men who died when their car was rammed off the road.

Mahek and Ansreen Bukhari recruited others before the killing of Saqib Hussain and Hashim Ijazuddin, both 21.

The fatal car chase in Leicestershire came after Mr Hussain threatened to reveal an affair he had been having with Ansreen, 46.

The court heard it was a plot of “love, obsession and extortion”, BBC reported.

Related: Influencer Mahek Bukhari, mother found guilty of double murder

Mahek – a 24-year-old social media influencer who the judge branded “entirely self-obsessed” – was jailed for life and ordered to serve at least 31 years and eight months.

Ansreen, whose head had been turned by the “perceived glamour” of her daughter’s career, was jailed for life and given a minimum term of 26 years and nine months.

Leicester Crown Court heard the Bukharis “lured” Mr Hussain to a meeting in a Tesco car park, saying he would be given back £3,000 he claimed to have spent on his lover during their relationship.

They planned to take his mobile phone from him, believing it contained explicit images of Ansreen, which he had threatened to reveal.

However Mr Hussain and his friend Mr Ijazuddin were then ambushed by a masked gang, recruited by the Bukharis, and chased in their Skoda Fabia along the A46 at speeds of up to 90mph by a Seat Leon and Audi TT – before crashing into a tree in a ball of flames.

Judge Timothy Spencer KC said: “The prosecution categorised this as a story of love, obsession and extortion and they are right.

“They were also right in categorising this case as one of cold-blooded murder.”

The judge said TikTok and Instagram, where Mahek Bukhari had amassed tens of thousands of followers posting beauty and fashion advice, were at the heart of the case.

He told Mahek: “Your tawdry fame through your career as an influencer has made you entirely self-obsessed.”

He said her “warped values” had led to her having “no apparent awareness” of the impact her actions had on others.

She blew a kiss to her father, present in court, as she was taken from the dock to start her jail sentence.

The judge said Ansreen’s head had been turned by the “perceived glamour” of her daughter’s career, with her often appearing in posts online and attending promotions and shisha bar openings.

He said it was a world removed from her life as a mother and housewife.

He told her: “You are the grown-up in this group and you should have behaved as the grown-up but you allowed your understandable concern about exposure to strip you of any rational judgement.”

He said she had made a “calamitous decision” to ask for Mahek’s help with Mr Hussain.

He cited two key WhatsApp messages from Mahek.

One said: “I’ll soon get him jumped by guys and he won’t know what day it is… I’ll make sure he gets jumped, he won’t know who did it and how.”

Hussain’s 999 call

During the trial, a 999 call made by Mr Hussain in the moments before the fatal crash was played.

He told police call handlers: “There’s guys following me, they have balaclavas on… they’re trying to ram me off the road.”

A scream was heard on the line before the call abruptly ended.

The judge said: “It was one of the most moving and distressing pieces of evidence ever heard in a criminal court.”

Also sentenced for murder were fellow defendants Rekan Karwan, 29, and Raees Jamal, 23, who were recruited by the Bukharis and driving the pursuing cars.

The court heard Jamal is serving a sentence for rape.