Driver Admits Killing Teenager in Crash After Dubai Prison Release
A driver has admitted causing the death of a British teenager in a car crash that occurred just months after the young man was released from a prison sentence in Dubai. The tragic incident unfolded in Tottenham, north London, highlighting a devastating sequence of events for the victim and his family.
Fatal Collision During Police Pursuit
Marwaan Mohamed Huseen, aged 20, was attempting to evade pursuing Metropolitan Police officers when he crashed a BMW into a lorry in the early hours of 3 October last year. The collision resulted in the death of 19-year-old Marcus Fakana, who was a passenger in the vehicle. A second passenger sustained serious injuries in the crash, which took place on The Roundway in Tottenham.
At Wood Green Crown Court on Friday, Huseen appeared via videolink from HMP Pentonville to plead guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He also admitted to being uninsured and unlicensed at the time of the incident. Huseen has been in custody since his arrest at the scene and was remanded back into custody by Judge Emma Deacon KC following his guilty pleas.
Background of the Victim
Marcus Fakana, from Tottenham, had been released from a prison in Dubai only three months prior to the fatal crash. In the summer of 2024, at the age of 18, he was visiting the United Arab Emirates with his parents when he engaged in a holiday romance with a 17-year-old girl from London. This led to his imprisonment for about a year on charges related to having sex with a minor.
Fakana was ultimately freed thanks to a royal pardon from the Dubai ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, last year. His release was a moment of relief for his family, but his life was tragically cut short shortly thereafter in the car crash in London.
Police Response and Investigation
According to the Metropolitan Police, officers were on patrol around 12.52am when they attempted to stop a "vehicle of interest" on Pretoria Road in Tottenham. After a short pursuit lasting approximately 60 seconds, police temporarily lost sight of the vehicle before locating it on The Roundway, where it had been involved in the collision.
Emergency services, including the London Ambulance Service and the London Air Ambulance, were called to the scene. Fakana was taken to hospital but sadly succumbed to his injuries. In a statement, Scotland Yard confirmed the details of the incident and identified the victim as Marcus Fakana from Tottenham.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Huseen, of Argyle Road in Tottenham, is due to submit a basis for his guilty pleas at a hearing scheduled for 27 February, after which a sentencing date will be set. He did not enter a plea to a third charge of driving without insurance and a licence, but the court was informed that he admits to not having a valid licence or insurance at the time of the crash.
This case underscores the severe consequences of dangerous driving and the profound impact on victims' families, particularly in the context of Fakana's recent release from imprisonment abroad. The community in Tottenham mourns the loss of a young life cut short under such tragic circumstances.
