Blackmail, Blood, and Broken Law: The TikTok Killer's Latest Court Fight

Convicted double murderer and former social media influencer Mahek Bukhari is challenging her prison sentence, with her legal team arguing at the Court of Appeal that her minimum term of 31 years and eight months for the murder of two men is "wholly disproportionate." The appeal is the latest development in a case that has drawn international attention, intertwining the glamorous world of TikTok fame with a fatal high-speed car chase over a blackmailed sex tape.

The Case and Conviction

Mahek Bukhari, 24 at the time of her sentencing in September 2023, and her mother Ansreen Bukhari, 46, were convicted of the double murder of Saqib Hussain and his friend Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin, both 21, in February 2022.

The court heard that Ansreen Bukhari had been in a secret, three-year affair with Saqib Hussain. When Ansreen attempted to end the relationship, Hussain threatened to expose the affair, including sharing sexually explicit photos and videos, to her husband and son. Fearful of the impact on her family's reputation and Mahek's burgeoning social media career—where she had over 128,000 followers on TikTok—Mahek became involved in a plot to silence Hussain.

The tragic events culminated in a high-speed chase on the A46 near Leicester. The Bukharis, along with several co-defendants, lured Hussain and Ijazuddin to a car park under the pretense of handing over the demanded money. When the victims fled, the group pursued them in two cars, deliberately ramming their Skoda off the road. In a chilling 999 call moments before the crash, Hussain told police their car was being "rammed off the road." The victims' car was forced to leave the carriageway, split in two, and caught fire after hitting a tree, killing both men instantly.

Mahek Bukhari was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 31 years and eight months. Her mother, Ansreen Bukhari, received a life sentence with a minimum of 26 years and nine months. The judge, Timothy Spencer KC, described Mahek as "self-obsessed" and stated that her "tawdry fame" as an influencer was "at the heart" of the case.

Current Appeal Development and Lack of Remorse

At the Court of Appeal, Mahek's barristers argued for a reduced sentence, suggesting that the initial sentencing did not adequately reflect the controlling behaviour and threats from Saqib Hussain, claiming the threat to release the explicit material was "the end of a very long series of threatening messages." They conceded that the original plan involved the possibility of confrontation but was never intended to be a "plan to kill or cause really serious bodily injury." This appeal focuses on the minimum term of the life sentence being "wholly disproportionate."

Furthermore, it is understood that several other defendants in the case, including those convicted of manslaughter, are also pursuing appeals against their convictions and sentences.

Crucially, new details from the police investigation have surfaced, highlighting Mahek’s apparent attitude following the murders. Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Mark Parish noted that when initially interviewed, Mahek showed "very little guilt" for the two deaths. DI Parish stated that the only time Mahek showed any visible emotion was when she heard the chilling 999 call from Saqib Hussain played back to her, but the officer suspected that was more due to her recognising "how serious a position she is in," rather than genuine remorse for the victims. The Bukharis' plot involved telling "hours of lies" to detectives to cover their tracks, with police stating their only concern throughout the entire incident and investigation was for themselves.

Mahek Bukhari's Personal Life and Controversy

Before her conviction, Mahek Bukhari was a prominent lifestyle and beauty influencer who had dropped out of university to pursue her social media career full-time. She was often seen in her mother's videos, portraying a close, 'best friends' relationship. The court was told she lived two lives: one public, glossy, and driven by social media fame, and a private one entangled in her mother's secret affair and the ensuing blackmail attempt. The underlying tragedy of the case is the extreme measure Mahek took to protect her mother's secret and her own digital celebrity, a motive the prosecution argued was rooted in self-obsession and an exaggerated sense of entitlement.