‘Bored’ mum lied under oath during previous trial

ANSREEN Bukhari has admitted lying under oath after giving evidence about her love life in a previous murder trial, a jury has heard.

The jury in the current trial has been informed the proceedings are a re-trial, due to the previous one being abandoned in December last year.

Ansreen, 47, had given evidence at the last trial, having sworn on the Koran to tell the truth.

During that trial, she said she did have a sexual relationship with crash victim Saqib Hussain.

But she said she had otherwise been faithful to her husband of 25 years, to whom she is still married.

But giving evidence at Leicester Crown Court, she mentioned another man with whom she had a sexual relationship before Mr Hussain.

She said during her trips with Mahek Bukhari for TikTok and Instagram jobs, she met a man who was in his 30s and married with children. Over a period of months, she would meet him at shisha lounges and they would talk each day on the phone.

It later developed into a sexual relationship, she said.

In court on Wednesday, she admitted lying to the jury last time.

Her barrister, Patrick Upward KC asked her: “Why lie?”

She said: “I was just ashamed. So embarrassed. I just wanted to save my marriage.”

She said she was also concerned about the effect the truth would have on her son.

She previously told the jury she was “bored” with her life before Mahek started taking her on trips for her social media career.

Ansreen said: “Working Monday to Friday and doing the same thing, I was quite bored.”

The jury also heard how Mahek had lied to her co-defendant Rekan Karwan to protect her mother’s reputation. Mr Hussain was blackmailing Ansreen but Mahek did not tell Karwan, who was helping them, that the issue with Mr Hussain involved her mother, it was said.

Mark Rainsford KC, barrister for Karwan, asked Ansreen: “Are you aware that Mahek had told Rekan it was she who was being blackmailed and not you?”

She said yes.

The trial continues.