Brothers Allegedly Racing Before Fatal Collision
A jury has been told that two brothers were reportedly racing moments before a collision that resulted in the death of a father-of-two and caused serious injuries to his nine-year-old son.
Rhys Jenkins, from Deuddwr, Powys, died at the scene of the crash on the A483 near Welshpool in November 2024. His son, Ioan, was airlifted to a hospital in Liverpool with serious injuries.
Abubakr Ben Yusuf, 31, and Umar Ben Yusuf, 35, deny charges of causing death by dangerous driving.
Prosecution Opening Statement
At Mold Crown Court, prosecutor David Mainstone stated that the two defendants were "a car crash waiting to happen" and had been "racing" each other in the miles leading up to the fatal collision.
He informed the jury that during the trial, they would hear testimony from 10 eyewitnesses who observed the brothers driving prior to the crash. Witnesses reported seeing the BMW and the Audi alternately leading the race.
Other witnesses would describe the collision itself, where Jenkins' Toyota Yaris was struck head-on by the red BMW driven by Abubakr Ben Yousef after the vehicle appeared to lose control and crossed into the right-hand lane.
Mainstone presented footage showing the two cars overtaking a woman at speed, as well as another video capturing the journey in daylight from Newtown, where the brothers' cars were first seen, to the crash site near Welshpool.
Eyewitness Account from Transit Van Driver
Ryan Jones, a transit van driver, testified that he was traveling at approximately 50 to 60 mph when he noticed headlights close behind him in his wing mirrors.
"There were no vehicles, to then very quickly lights approaching,"
he said, describing how the headlights came "aggressively" and "close." Jones stated the car flashed its lights as if signaling him to speed up or move. The vehicle then pulled out and back in again due to oncoming traffic.
Jones identified the car as a red BMW X3, which then overtook him on a bend.
"I wasn't very impressed. It was unbelievably reckless and dangerous …the speed they were travelling, the blind corner, the time of day. Everything about it."
He further described that during the overtaking maneuver, he became aware of a blue Audi A4 alongside, also overtaking him. He estimated the cars were traveling between 80 and 100 mph.
Jones recounted seeing the BMW in front of the Audi begin to "fishtail" and "slide."
"I don't know if it caught a puddle or dirt... the car was trying to slide side to side, it caught the ditch... the car bolted across the road and hit the oncoming vehicle."
He observed a "flash of flame" under the bonnet of Rhys Jenkins' Toyota, which then spun and ended up facing the opposite direction. The BMW "bounced to a stop" and the Audi pulled up about 10 meters from the crash site.
Jones called emergency services and ran to the Toyota. Someone else was already present, and together they opened the door and removed an unconscious young boy from the car.
He saw someone check the driver and heard them say there was no pulse.
Mainstone asked Jones if he was surprised by what had happened.
"After seeing the manner of driving, it was inevitable,"
he said, "you can't be driving like that on those roads."
Investigation and Trial Details
Mainstone informed the jury that a collision investigator would testify that the road surface at the crash location was dry and in good repair at the time of the incident.
Another investigator would present calculations indicating that Abubakr Ben Yousef was driving faster than 63 mph at the moment of impact.
The prosecutor stated that Jenkins "couldn't avoid the collision" and "paid a terrible price" due to the brothers' reckless driving that evening, which showed "no consideration for other road users." It was also noted that Abubakr Ben Yousef was not insured at the time.
