Welshpool death crash accused were overtaking dangerously

A driver overtaken by two cars minutes before a fatal crash has told a court that two brothers accused of killing a man in a collision looked like they were “racing”.

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

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

Witness Roy Jennings told Mold Crown Court how he was “quickly” overtaken by two cars he believed to be a blue Audi S4 and a red BMW X3.

Mr Jennings was driving with his seven-year-old son at the time of the “very dangerous” manoeuvre and said they “both overtook me at the same time”.

Tyler Lewis told jurors how he was overtaken by two cars before the crash that were travelling “very fast… very close to me”.

Further along the road, he saw one of the cars in a hedge “on fire” and the other “very damaged”.

Carrieanne Groves said she felt “intimidated” when a red BMW drove up behind her, before seeing it “swerving” and overtaking the cars ahead of her.

A blue car then came behind her and it “looked like they were racing,” she told the jury.

The court was also shown dash-cam footage from the car overtaken by Mr Lewis, which then showed him being overtaken by two vehicles.

Barrister David Martin-Sperry, who represents Mr Yusaf, asked him to look at the brown colour on the road surface in the footage.

Mr Lewis said it was “mud, probably”, but did not recall seeing any signs warning about mud.

Anthony Demery told the court he came upon the crash just after it happened and saw “an X3 in pieces” and a blue Audi “in my lane, but facing north”.

As he walked past the Audi, Mr Demery said he saw a man in the driver’s seat and another getting in and heard their conversation.

“I heard the driver saying ‘come on, let’s go, there’s nothing we can do’,” he said, adding the other man appeared “dazed and confused”.

They then drove off towards Welshpool, he said.

Mr Demery was asked about his police statement in which he had written: “It was almost like there was nothing they could do.”

Asked if that was his assessment, or if he heard those words, he said he thought he had heard them as well.

The trial continues.