🔴 ‘STREET RACING’ BROTHER CLAIMS MUD CAUSED FATAL CRASH

Two brothers accused of street racing after a fatal head-on crash say they were driving safely and lost control only because of mud on the road. Two brothers accused of racing their cars before a fatal head-on crash have denied driving dangerously, with one telling a jury that mud on the road caused him to lose control.

Abubakr Ben Yusaf, 30, and his brother Umar Ben Yusaf, 34, both of Esmond Road, Manchester, are standing trial at Mold Crown Court. They deny causing the death of Rhys Jenkins, 41, by dangerous driving, as well as causing serious injury to Mr Jenkins’ nine-year-old son Ioan and driving while uninsured.

The crash happened on the A483 near Welshpool, Powys, on the evening of 16 November 2024. Mr Jenkins, a rugby referee and father of two from Deuddw, was driving a Toyota Yaris with his son in the passenger seat when his vehicle was struck head-on by a BMW X3 driven by Abubakr Yusaf. Mr Jenkins died at the scene. Ioan was airlifted to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool with serious injuries.

Prosecution case

Opening the case, prosecuting barrister John Philpotts said the brothers had been travelling south in separate cars — a red BMW X3 driven by Abubakr and a blue Audi S4 driven by Umar — and were “effectively a car crash waiting to happen.”

Witnesses reported both vehicles tailgating and overtaking dangerously. Van driver Ryan Jones told the court the BMW attempted to overtake him on a right-hand bend despite oncoming headlights. He said that on a following left-hand bend, Abubakr again pulled out in what Mr Philpotts described as a “desperate” manoeuvre, with Umar’s Audi close behind and “driving in the same dangerous manner.”

Mr Jones estimated the vehicles were travelling at around 70mph. On a straight stretch at Belan, he said he saw the BMW begin to fishtail, with its passenger side moving onto the verge before swerving across the carriageway into the path of Mr Jenkins’ Toyota.

“There was a collision head-on,” Mr Philpotts told the jury. “Mr Jenkins died at the scene and his son was very seriously injured. The manner in which that BMW and Audi were being driven by the defendants meant they were effectively racing. Each encouraged the other to drive aggressively, and both are responsible for the fatal collision, even though only one vehicle was directly involved.”

The court heard both defendants left the scene before returning later. They were arrested near Welshpool later that evening.

Defence evidence

Giving evidence on 11 September, Abubakr Yusaf, a locum optometrist working in west Wales at the time, denied driving dangerously. He said he had been travelling home to Manchester for a family meal with his parents, who had just returned from abroad.