A TikTok influencer who murdered her mother’s toyboy lover and his friend in a high-speed car chase that ended in a fireball crash has had her jail term slashed by appeal judges.
Mahek Bukhari, 23, rammed Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin and Saqib Hussain, both 21, off the road alongside six accomplices in a murderous plot to silence Saqib after he threatened to expose his affair with her mother.
The Instagram influencer hatched the deadly scheme with her mother Ansreen Bukhari, 45, after Saqib blackmailed the older woman with sex tapes from their relationship. Bukhari was jailed for life in September 2023 with a minimum of 31 years and eight months for two counts of murder.
She launched an appeal against her sentence, which was granted today by senior judges at the Court of Appeal. Reading a summary of the ruling, Lord Justice Warby said the judge did not make enough allowance for the fact that this appellant was an immature 22-year-old at the time of these offences.
Her lawyers had previously argued the original jail term was wholly disproportionate given her age and role in the events. The court agreed the minimum term should be reduced, though the exact new term was not immediately disclosed.
Jurors at Bukhari’s trial in 2023 heard the horror smash was no ordinary traffic accident. Instead, prosecutors described it as a story of love, obsession, extortion and, ultimately, cold-blooded murder.
Saqib had been in a relationship with married Ansreen for approximately three years and appeared to be in love with her. During the illicit affair, he splurged £3,000 on Ansreen, whom he called Anzy, on date nights and gifts.
By January 2022, the mother was attempting to end the relationship but increasingly obsessive Saqib would not accept it was over. As a result, he took to attempting to blackmail Ansreen by threatening to send their sex tapes to her husband.
On 4th January, Mahek Bukhari sent her mother a message which read “I’ll get him jumped by guys and he won’t know what day it is.” The TikTok influencer also messaged her mum’s ex-lover directly, telling him “I am sorry that this year you’ll be gone, Saqib.”
She and her mother hatched a plot to silence Saqib by luring him with the offer of getting his £3,000 back. On 10th February, he was driven by completely innocent friend Hashim to collect the cash from Leicester.
Shortly after the meeting, Saqib made a harrowing 999 call in the minutes leading up to the fatal crash. He told the operator he was being followed by two vehicles attempting to block him in, saying he could not reach a police station and needed help immediately.
Saqib described men wearing balaclavas following him, saying they were trying to ram him off the road and trying to kill him. After giving his name to the operator, he begged “They’re hitting into the back of the car very fast. Please, I’m begging you, I’m going to die.”
He can then be heard screaming before the audio cuts off. Moments later, the Skoda Fabia the friends were travelling in smashed into a tree on a central reservation and split in two, killing both young men instantly.
Ansreen Bukhari and Mahek Bukhari denied but were convicted of two counts of murder following the trial. Their convictions were upheld on appeal, with only the sentences being challenged.
Fellow defendants Rekhan Karwan and Raees Jamal were also found guilty of two counts of murder. Natasha Akhtar, Ameer Jamal and Sanaf Gulamustafa were all found not guilty of murder but guilty of two counts of manslaughter.
The three manslaughter convicts were jailed for 11 years and eight months, 14 years and eight months, and 14 years and nine months respectively. They also challenged their sentences alongside Mahek at the hearing in London, with judges reducing their terms by two years each.
Lord Justice Warby said it seems indisputable that the car chase carried a high risk of death or really serious harm and that this should have been obvious to all those in each vehicle. However, he continued that the minor role played by each of the manslaughter appellants should have had a powerful downward impact on their sentences.
The judge added that the sentences for all these appellants were manifestly excessive and could and should have been substantially lower. The ruling represents a significant reduction in time to be served by all those who appealed.
The case shocked the nation when details emerged of how social media influencers had orchestrated a brutal murder plot. Mahek Bukhari had amassed a substantial following on TikTok and Instagram before her arrest.
The 999 call made by terrified Saqib in his final moments proved particularly harrowing, with the audio played during the trial. His desperate pleas for help whilst being pursued at high speed highlighted the terror he experienced before his death.
Hashim Ijazuddin was described as completely innocent, having simply agreed to drive his friend to what he believed was a legitimate meeting. His family expressed devastation that he lost his life through no fault of his own.
The involvement of multiple defendants in the car chase demonstrated the coordinated nature of the plot. Vehicles pursued and boxed in the victims’ car at high speed on the A46 dual carriageway near Leicester.
The blackmail attempt that sparked the murders revealed the toxic nature of the affair between Saqib and Ansreen. His threats to expose their relationship and share intimate footage pushed the Bukharis to extreme measures.
Prosecutors argued the plan was premeditated, with messages between mother and daughter showing clear intent to harm Saqib. The promise of returning his money was merely bait to lure him into a deadly trap.
The appeal court’s decision to reduce sentences sparked debate about whether justice has been properly served for the two young men who lost their lives. Some victims’ advocates argued the original terms were appropriate given the calculated nature of the murders.
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