Tributes to Banbury murder victims as A46 killers jailed

Four people convicted of murdering Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin were jailed for life at Leicester Crown Court yesterday (September 1). A further three received sentences ranging from 11 to 14-and-a-half years for the 21-year-olds’ manslaughter.

Mr Hussain and Mr Ijazuddin, both from Banbury, died when the Skoda in which they were fleeing from their killers left the A46 near Leicester and crashed into a tree.

Ansreen and Mahek Bukhari (left and right) Picture: Leicestershire Police (Image: Leicestershire Police)

In tributes released by the men’s families following the sentencing hearing, the young men were described as caring and compassionate. Their deaths had brought their loved ones’ worlds ‘crashing down’.

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The family of Mr Ijazuddin, who had driven his friend Saqib to Leicestershire and was behind the wheel of the Skoda during the crash, said: “The day we found out Hashim had died, our world came crashing down. His death has changed everything.

"Everyone who knew Hashim, loved him. His death is not just a massive loss to our family but also to our whole community.

"Hashim was a cheeky young man who was always smiling, a handsome man who was beautiful both on the inside and out. He would do anything for anyone, was very caring and had a very kind heart.

"Hashim would always put others first and wouldn’t hesitate to help others if they needed it. On that tragic day, he was simply helping his friend and this resulted in his death.

"It has been extremely painful not only losing Hashim at such a young age but also in the circumstances in which we lost him.

"We will always be extremely proud of Hashim. Whatever he would have done in life, we know he would have excelled in it. Hashim was and will always be our superstar and our one-in-a-million.”

They thanked the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and others who had ‘supported and prayed for Hashim and for us’.

Since his death, Mr Ijazuddin’s family and friends have raised thousands of pounds for charity by organising ‘Hashim United’ football tournaments in his hometown.

Mr Hussain’s family described him as a ‘much-loved young man’.

“He was kind, compassionate, caring and sensible. My family has been shattered by this senseless act and we are still struggling to come to terms with the enormity of our loss,” they said.

“[We] do not feel that we have received justice as we have now got a life sentence.

“We are grateful that the courts saw through all the lies attributed to my son Saqib. Thank God the jury saw through it and gave the verdicts our children deserve.

“Saqib’s death has brought so much sadness, not just to his family, but to the many people that knew him.”

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They added: “I never imagined that I would have to bury one of my children; that I would spend every waking moment suddenly expecting him to come back and tell me everything is ok; endlessly searching for his face whenever I am in public even though I know it is impossible.

“This grief of losing Saqib has further been compounded by having to relive the horror of my son’s death over and over again in court.

Left to right, Ansreen Bukhari, Mahek Bukhari, Raees Jamal, Rekhan Karwan, Sanaf Gulamustafa, Ameer (Image: Leicestershire Police/PA)

“My family and I would like to thank Leicestershire Police greatly for their diligence, thoroughness and painstaking hard work in ensuring that those responsible for Saqib’s death did not evade justice.

“We have hope and confidence that Saqib has found eternal rest with Our Lord, and that we will get to be with him again when we pass. We also pray that no family will have to go through our experience.”

Mr Hussain’s family thanked those who had supported them during the past year-and-a-half, including police officers, schools and the local mosque.