Brothers were racing before Welshpool death crash

Two brothers were racing their cars before one hit another vehicle head on, killing the driver and seriously injuring a nine-year-old boy, a court has heard.

Dad-of-two Rhys Jenkins from Deuddw, Powys, was killed in the crash near Welshpool on 16 November last year, and his son, Ioan, was airlifted to hospital.

Abubakr Ben Yusaf, 29, and Umar Ben Yusaf, 34, both deny causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving and causing death while uninsured.

When the police arrived at the scene both defendants, from Manchester, had left and they were arrested at about 20:00 GMT that evening near Welshpool.

The jury at Mold Crown Court was told that the brothers were in separate cars on the A483 when the crash happened.

Prosecution barrister John Philpotts said several witnesses would be heard in the trial who were tailgated and dangerously overtaken just before the crash, by Abubakr Ben Yusaf’s BMW X3 and then by an Audi S4 driven by Umar Ben Yusaf.

Mr Philpotts said they were “effectively a car crash waiting to happen” and were “driving aggressively and dangerously”.

“They were racing,” he said, and “both were responsible,” even if only the BMW, driven by Abubakr Ben Yusaf, was in the collision with Mr Jenkins’ vehicle.

He said one witness had been dangerously overtaken in his Transit van by Abubakr Ben Yusaf, whose driving was “reckless”, and then overtaken by Umar Ben Ysaf’s Audi.

When the witness got to a straight bit of road at Belan, he saw the rear of the BMW “fishtail” as it lost control and swerved into the oncoming lane.

Mr Philpotts said Mr Jenkins was driving his wife’s Toyota Yaris entirely properly in other direction, with his son Ioan in the passenger seat.

The car was hit head on by the BMW and Mr Jenkins died at the scene.

Ioan was airlifted to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool with serious injuries.

In this trial the jury was told it will hear from a witness who came to help and heard the two men say, “come on, let’s go”.

The trial continues.