TikTok Influencer Mahek Bukhari Double Murder Sentence Reduced to 26 Years

Mahek Bukhari, a TikTok influencer convicted for her role in the 2022 murders of Saqib Hussain and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin, had her minimum life sentence reduced from 31 years and eight months to 26 years and 285 days by the Court of Appeal. The judges ruled that the original sentence was "manifestly excessive" and had failed to adequately consider her youth and immaturity at 22 years old at the time of the crimes. The murders followed Mahek's mother Ansreen Bukhari's failed attempt to end her affair with Mr. Hussain, who had blackmailed her for over £3,000 and threatened to release sexually explicit material. The victims were lured to a Tesco car park under the pretense of repaying the money but were ambushed and chased along the A46, where their car was rammed off the road during a high-speed pursuit. While the court acknowledged the disproportionate nature of Mahek's response to the blackmail, it also noted the high risk of death during the chase and the minor roles of others involved, leading to reduced sentences for co-defendants. The ruling emphasized the need for a substantial downward adjustment of Mahek's sentence due to her age and immaturity at the time of the offenses.