CREATE TABLE not working

I am trying to create a mysql table, and i have tried the following code: ( please excuse some of the varchar(255)'s )

    $connection = @mysqli_connect($host, $user, $pswd);

    if($connection->connect_error){
        die("Connection failed: " . $connection->connect-error);
    }else{
        echo "Connected <br>";
    }

    $createTable = "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS cabBookings (
                _booking_code VARCHAR(10) NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY,
                _customer_name VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
                _customer_phone VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
                _customer_address_unit VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
                _customer_address_num VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
                _customer_address_name VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
                _customer_suburb VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
                _destination_suburb VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
                _pickup_date VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
                _pickup_time VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL
                ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8";


    $queryResult = @mysqli_query($connection, $tester)
        or die ("error". mysqli_error($connection));


    @mysqli_select_db($connection, $dbnm)
    or die('Database not Available');

But this is not working. It prints out "error" but doesn't actually create the table, nor print out the error it is receiving. I have input my code into various checkers- all to no avail, and have run out of ideas.

NOTE: The connection to the database IS working.

NOTE2: this code is in a php file.

Thanks in advance