Video has emerged showing a Bradford woman accused of causing her friend’s death in a high-speed Lamborghini crash leaving the passenger seat at traffic lights, walking around the vehicle and getting into the driver’s seat.
Humaira Batool, 26, denies causing the death of Mohammed Shaan Hussain, 20, by dangerous driving following the crash on the M62 near Ripponden, Calderdale, on December 21, 2022.
Jurors at Leeds Crown Court have been shown footage of the pair swapping positions before Batool drove the Lamborghini Urus onto the motorway.
The court has heard that the supercar later reached speeds of up to 143mph before leaving the carriageway and overturning.
Batool Initially Said She Was Passenger
The trial heard Batool initially told police she had been asleep in the passenger seat and awoke when the car rolled.
However, footage shown to the jury captured Batool getting out of the passenger side at traffic lights in Bradford, walking around the Lamborghini and taking over the driver’s seat from Mr Hussain.
Prosecutor Christopher Dunn said Batool had remained “entirely shtum” about the change of driver until confronted with the footage.
He told jurors: “She kept entirely shtum about that until she was forced to acknowledge it when she was confronted with unequivocal evidence proving that she was the driver at the relevant time.”
Lamborghini Reached Up To 143mph
Mr Dunn told the court that Batool had got up during the night after seeing Mr Hussain outside her home in the Lamborghini.
Mr Hussain initially drove the 600bhp vehicle before the pair switched seats.
The prosecution says Batool then drove at more than twice the motorway speed limit in dark and wet conditions.
Jurors heard that the Lamborghini reached speeds of up to 143mph during the journey.
Mr Dunn said: “The defendant’s driving fell far below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver.”
Batool Says Passenger Caused Car To ‘Boost’
Batool has claimed that Mr Hussain was responsible for sudden increases in speed by handling controls inside the Lamborghini.
She told jurors that he said: “Watch this, watch this,” before reaching towards the centre console and steering wheel.
Batool claimed the Urus then began to “surge”.
She said Mr Hussain “pressed the buttons multiple times”, causing the vehicle to repeatedly accelerate and leaving her panicked and frozen.
A Lamborghini expert who gave evidence at the trial said there were no buttons, levers or other controls in the Urus capable of producing the acceleration Batool described.
The expert said the acceleration would have required use of the driver’s accelerator pedal.
Prosecutor Accuses Batool Of Blaming Dead Passenger
The prosecution has strongly challenged Batool’s explanation for the vehicle’s speed.
Mr Dunn told the jury: “You may feel she embarked on a deeply distasteful attempt to put the blame for that grossly excessive speed upon the person who died as a result of her dangerous driving.”
Batool denies that she deliberately drove at the speeds alleged by the prosecution.
Defence Says Crash Could Have Been Genuine Accident
Defence barrister Richard Dawson argued that the collision may have been a genuine accident for which nobody was criminally responsible.
“Sometimes, accidents happen – accidents in the true sense where no one is criminally to blame,” he told the court.
Mr Dawson argued that speed by itself would not necessarily explain why the Lamborghini suddenly left the motorway and overturned.
He said the prosecution had not established the precise mechanism which caused the fatal loss of control.
“The prosecution have never been able to provide any crucial detail as to how or why the collision actually occurred. They don’t know,” he said.
The defence also said Batool had never claimed to know exactly what Mr Hussain had touched inside the vehicle, only that the Lamborghini appeared to surge afterwards.
Lamborghini Hired To Collect Friend From Prison
The court heard that Mr Hussain had hired the Lamborghini Urus to collect a friend from HMP Leeds.
He picked Batool up from her Bradford home at around 4am.
The Lamborghini subsequently travelled along the M62 towards Ripponden.
It was travelling at around 120mph as it passed Stott Hall Farm, commonly known as the “house in the middle of the motorway”, shortly before leaving the carriageway.
The vehicle struck a barrier and overturned before catching fire.
Motorists Tried To Rescue Mr Hussain
Other motorists stopped and attempted to rescue Mr Hussain from the wreckage.
Their efforts were defeated by the intensity of the fire and an explosion.
Batool managed to escape from the Lamborghini and was later found on a grass verge.
She suffered serious injuries, including burns covering around 10 per cent of her body and a shattered tibia.
Mr Hussain died inside the vehicle.
Jurors at Leeds Crown Court are expected to begin considering their verdict following the prosecution and defence closing speeches.
