TWO BROTHERS JAILED FOR FATAL RACING CRASH IN WALES

Two brothers have been jailed following a crash near Welshpool, Powys, in November 2024 that killed a father and seriously injured his nine-year-old son. Abubakr Ben Yusaf was sentenced to 14 years for causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and causing death while uninsured. Umar Ben Yusaf was sentenced to two years and nine months for causing death and serious injury by careless driving. Mold Crown Court heard the brothers were racing each other on the A483 between Newtown and Welshpool at the time.

Rhys Jenkins, a rugby referee, died at the scene when a BMW X3 driven by Abubakr Ben Yusaf drifted sideways and collided head-on with the Toyota Yaris in which Jenkins was travelling with his son Ioan. Jenkins had been taking Ioan from their home in Meifod to watch Wales play Australia in Cardiff—their first Wales rugby match together. According to court evidence, the brothers, both locum optometrists, were driving from Aberystwyth to Manchester and were described by witnesses as "aggressively" tailgating cars, flashing headlights, and overtaking recklessly before the collision. Both brothers fled the scene; Umar Ben Yusaf returned within 40 minutes and told a police community support officer that the person responsible was with him.

Ioan was airlifted to hospital and suffered fractured arms, a fractured rib and a perforated bowel. In a victim impact statement, his mother Caroline Jenkins said the crash had left their family with "a massive hole" and that Ioan struggled with emotional and physical scars. Ioan stated he wished his father was still here to "watch me grow up and be my dad". The Jenkins family's youngest son, Gruff, was six years old when the crash occurred.