Road where dad died in crash after ‘brothers raced’ in BMW and Audi had ‘history of accidents’, trial hears
Abubakr Ben Yusaf and Umar Ben Yusaf both deny causing death of Rhys Jenkins by dangerous driving
Chris Slater[1] Senior Reporter and David Powell Court reporter21:58, 10 Sep 2025Updated 22:00, 10 Sep 2025
Umar Ben Yusaf (left) and Abubakr Ben Yusaf (right) pictured outside court(Image: David Powell)A road where two brothers from Manchester allegedly raced each other before a fatal crash has a 'history of accidents', their trial has been told.
It comes as a jury heard Rhys Jenkins had braked less than a second before the 'high speed impact' collision.
Dad-of-two Mr Jenkins, 41, died and his nine-year-old son Ioan was seriously injured after their Toyota Yaris was struck when a BMW, driven by Abubakr Ben Yusaf, entered his lane on a stretch of the A483 in Wales on November 16, last year.
Ben Yusaf, 29, and his brother Umar Ben Yusaf, 34, both from Cheetham Hill, are both standing trial accused of causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving and causing death while uninsured, which they deny.
Sign up to the MEN Court newsletter here[2]
A jury at Mold Crown Court today heard that Mr Jenkins' car was knocked backwards and rotated 180 degrees, ending up in a hedge and on fire, following the smash on a stretch of the A483, known as the Belan Straight, between the towns of Welshpool and Newtown in Powys, Wales Online reports.[3]
The red BMW X3 spun 360 degrees and was also badly damaged, the prosecution say. Umar Ben Yusaf, who was in a blue Audi and said to be racing his brother's car, used his emergency brakes before he reached the scene of the crash, the jury heard.
Rhys Jenkins(Image: Dyfed-Powys Police)On the third day of the the trial, defence barrister for Abubakr Ben Yusaf, David Martin Sperry, today (Wednesday) cross-examined Dyfed Powys Police forensic collision investigator David Stacey in the witness box.
Mr Sperry said: "The history of accidents on this road, including a number of accidents with varying degrees of consequence, that have happened as a result of mud on the road - that's happened, has it not?"
Mr Stacey replied: "I don't know. It's not something that I have previously investigated."
The judge, His Honour Simon Mills, pointed out that this issue was not part of the prosecution case.
Mr Sperry, however, said it would be part of his defence case later in the trial.
The brothers - who have been accused of racing - deny the charges against them(Image: David Powell)Earlier Mr Stacey was asked by the prosecutor John Philpotts about the collision in Mr Jenkins' lane.
Mr Philpotts asked: "Was this a high speed impact?" Mr Stacey replied "Yes".
Mr Philpotts then asked: "How much time would the driver of the Toyota Yaris have to respond to this situation?" Mr Stacey said Mr Jenkins braked "0.9 seconds" before the collision.
"So Mr Jenkins applied the brake less than a second before the moment of impact?" Mr Philpotts asked. "That's correct" Mr Stacey replied.
The jury previously heard numerous witnesses claim that the two brothers were 'racing' with the BMW travelling at '90 mph to 100 mph.'
Mr Stacey said today it was not possible to determine what speed the BMW had been travelling at at the moment of impact.
Umar Ben Yusaf and Abubakr Ben Yusaf, both of Esmond Road, Cheetham Hill, deny the charges against them.
The trial continues.
Article continues belowProceeding
References
- ^ Chris Slater (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
- ^ here (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
- ^ Wales Online reports. (www.walesonline.co.uk)