logo
Two in court following care home smash

Two in court following care home smash

Leader Live12-07-2025
Sam Asgari-Tabar, of no fixed address, and Reece Parish, of Fordham Road, Sunderland, appeared separately at Newcastle Magistrates' Court following the crash on Wednesday night at Highcliffe Care Home, Witherwack, Sunderland.
A blue BMW 3-series which was reported stolen was being pursued by police when it crashed into a wall of the care home, causing extensive structural damage which meant that the building had to be evacuated.
Initially, Northumbria Police said eight residents required hospital treatment.
On Friday, the force said a woman in her 90s and a woman in her 80s, neither of whom were in the eight taken to hospital, had died.
Police inquiries into their deaths continue.
Asgari-Tabar appeared before the court charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, said to be a resident who suffered spinal fractures.
He was also charged with robbery of the BMW 3-series, which he was allegedly test-driving, and kidnap of the woman who was taking him out in the vehicle.
No pleas were entered and Asgari-Tabar was remanded in custody to appear before Newcastle Crown Court on August 11.
Parish, who had several supporters in the public gallery, faced two charges, robbery of the car and kidnap.
Magistrates said the case was so serious that it had to be dealt with at the crown court and he was also remanded in custody to appear on the same date as his co-accused.
As he was taken down to the cells, supporters shouted: 'We are all with you.
'Take care of yourself, we all love you mate.'
Previously, police said the car was reported as being stolen in the Fenham area of Newcastle at around 9.25pm and was seen in Sunderland 15 minutes later when a pursuit was authorised.
Following the police pursuit, a mandatory referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, officers said.
Alternative accommodation has been found for the residents.
On Friday, a spokeswoman for Avery Healthcare, which runs the care home, said: 'We are deeply saddened by the incident at our home in Sunderland and our thoughts are with all those affected.
'We are committed to supporting our residents, their families, and our dedicated staff during this incredibly difficult time.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Police Scotland ban uniformed officers from taking part in Pride march
Police Scotland ban uniformed officers from taking part in Pride march

Scottish Sun

time19 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Police Scotland ban uniformed officers from taking part in Pride march

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCOTTISH cops have been banned from marching in pride parades while on-duty. An LGBT+ march will be held on the streets of Glasgow today, but unlike previous years there will be no uniformed cops taking part. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 A pride parade will be held in Glasgow today Credit: Getty 4 Uniformed cops will not be taking part Credit: Tom Farmer - The Sun Glasgow 4 The march decision followed a ruling from the High Court Credit: Tom Farmer It comes after an English police force was found to have "breached impartiality" by the High Court. Northumbria Police's Chief Constable was found to have acted unlawfully by allowing uniformed cops to take in part in last year's Newcastle Pride. It was argued officers taking part in the parade could harm the force's impartiality if a dispute kicked off between gender-critical and trans rights supporters. After the ruling, Scottish cops are now not marching in the event today in Glasgow. It is understood uniformed officers were already not taking part in the parade, but the court ruling saw force chiefs ditch plans for information stalls had been ditched. Officers will still be able to attend the pride parade if they are off duty. Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs told the Daily Mail: "Police Scotland has vast experience in policing events and in the coming days we will continue to do so in a professional, engaging, and proportionate manner. "Glasgow's Pride will be no different and we will continue to engage closely with event organisers, although no officers will participate in forthcoming events in uniform. "We continue to review the UK High Court judgement on Northumbria Police's participation in Newcastle Pride 2024 and its implications. "We will ensure Police Scotland's response to events continues to be in line with our values and code of ethics, providing a professional and impartial service which upholds the human rights of all." NYC Pride ends in chaos after teen girl shot in the head near Stonewall Inn hours after 50 hurt by bear spray attack The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents rank-and-file cops welcomed the decision. SPF General Secretary David Kennedy said they support the values of pride but said officers taking part in any kind of march could harm the force's objectivity. He said: "The SPF proudly supports the principles and values of the Pride movement, including equality, inclusion, and the right of all individuals - regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity - to live free from discrimination and prejudice. "Participating in any march while on duty, including Pride, can give rise to questions around neutrality and may impact perceptions of police objectivity. "Officers who wish to take part in Pride events in their own time should be supported and encouraged to do so, and we welcome efforts to facilitate this wherever possible. 'Supporting Pride and supporting operational clarity are not mutually exclusive—we believe both can, and should, co-exist."

Off-duty officers in Pride event told not to wear items linking them to police
Off-duty officers in Pride event told not to wear items linking them to police

Leader Live

timea day ago

  • Leader Live

Off-duty officers in Pride event told not to wear items linking them to police

The decision by Northumbria Police comes after a court ruled that the force acted unlawfully by allowing its officers to take part in a Pride event last year. High Court judge Mr Justice Linden said his ruling on Wednesday related only to the 2024 event and that it was up to the force to decide how it approaches Saturday's parade. Northumbria Police has now confirmed uniformed officers will not be permitted to take part and said any of those who are off-duty and do participate must not visibly identify themselves as being officers or members of the force through clothing, flags, or accessories. In an update on Friday, the force also said any participating off-duty officers must not 'express support for political aims (e.g. changes to law or policy) or opposition to other lawful views'. On-duty attendance 'is only permitted where it forms part of the official policing response', the force said. In a statement it said the approach was 'designed to maintain public confidence in our impartiality, while also respecting our employees' individual rights under the European Convention on Human Rights'. It added: 'This guidance is not about limiting personal expression, but about ensuring that when our people represent Northumbria Police, they do so in a way that is fair, balanced, and impartial to all communities.' Lindsey Smith, who describes herself as a 'gender critical' lesbian, took legal action against Northumbria Police over its decision to allow officers to participate in the Newcastle Pride in the City event last July, in which she also participated. Lawyers for Ms Smith told the High Court that the officers' involvement breached impartiality rules, and that the decision to allow them to take part was unlawful, although barristers for the force opposed the challenge, claiming the decision, made by Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine, was within her 'discretion'. In his judgment, Mr Justice Linden said Ms Smith is opposed to 'gender ideology', which she believes is 'wrong and dangerous' but has been 'embraced' by the organisers of the event, Northern Pride. While Ms Smith agreed that the event should be policed, she objected to officers 'associating themselves with the views of supporters of gender ideology and transgender activists by actively participating', the judge said. Last year's event saw uniformed officers march with some carrying flags which included Pride colours alongside police insignia, and others wearing uniforms with the word 'Police' in Pride colours. There was also a 'static display' staffed by uniformed officers, which displayed a Progressive Pride flag, which includes representation of transgender and non-binary people, people of marginalised ethnicities and those living with Aids, the judge said. A police van with the colours of the transgender Pride flag painted on its sides was also present, the court was told. Northumbria Police said it will have a community engagement display at Northern Pride this weekend, adding that it believed a complete withdrawal of police engagement from such events 'would be a retrograde step and damage trust and confidence amongst members of LGBTQ+ community'. The force added: 'We want to ensure everyone knows that we are absolutely here for them when they need us.' The LGB Alliance charity called on the rest of the UK's police forces to follow suit on the withdrawal of uniformed officers from such events and to put in place measures around the participation of off-duty officers. The charity's chief executive Kate Barker said: 'Since our founding, LGB Alliance has been working with police and crime commissioners to raise our supporters' concerns about partisan policing that favours gender activists over LGB people. 'We will continue this work until the UK's remaining 42 forces follow the lead of their colleagues in Northumbria, and stop endorsing a movement they do not understand.'

Off-duty officers in Pride event told not to wear items linking them to police
Off-duty officers in Pride event told not to wear items linking them to police

Rhyl Journal

timea day ago

  • Rhyl Journal

Off-duty officers in Pride event told not to wear items linking them to police

The decision by Northumbria Police comes after a court ruled that the force acted unlawfully by allowing its officers to take part in a Pride event last year. High Court judge Mr Justice Linden said his ruling on Wednesday related only to the 2024 event and that it was up to the force to decide how it approaches Saturday's parade. Northumbria Police has now confirmed uniformed officers will not be permitted to take part and said any of those who are off-duty and do participate must not visibly identify themselves as being officers or members of the force through clothing, flags, or accessories. In an update on Friday, the force also said any participating off-duty officers must not 'express support for political aims (e.g. changes to law or policy) or opposition to other lawful views'. On-duty attendance 'is only permitted where it forms part of the official policing response', the force said. In a statement it said the approach was 'designed to maintain public confidence in our impartiality, while also respecting our employees' individual rights under the European Convention on Human Rights'. It added: 'This guidance is not about limiting personal expression, but about ensuring that when our people represent Northumbria Police, they do so in a way that is fair, balanced, and impartial to all communities.' Lindsey Smith, who describes herself as a 'gender critical' lesbian, took legal action against Northumbria Police over its decision to allow officers to participate in the Newcastle Pride in the City event last July, in which she also participated. Lawyers for Ms Smith told the High Court that the officers' involvement breached impartiality rules, and that the decision to allow them to take part was unlawful, although barristers for the force opposed the challenge, claiming the decision, made by Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine, was within her 'discretion'. In his judgment, Mr Justice Linden said Ms Smith is opposed to 'gender ideology', which she believes is 'wrong and dangerous' but has been 'embraced' by the organisers of the event, Northern Pride. While Ms Smith agreed that the event should be policed, she objected to officers 'associating themselves with the views of supporters of gender ideology and transgender activists by actively participating', the judge said. Last year's event saw uniformed officers march with some carrying flags which included Pride colours alongside police insignia, and others wearing uniforms with the word 'Police' in Pride colours. There was also a 'static display' staffed by uniformed officers, which displayed a Progressive Pride flag, which includes representation of transgender and non-binary people, people of marginalised ethnicities and those living with Aids, the judge said. A police van with the colours of the transgender Pride flag painted on its sides was also present, the court was told. Northumbria Police said it will have a community engagement display at Northern Pride this weekend, adding that it believed a complete withdrawal of police engagement from such events 'would be a retrograde step and damage trust and confidence amongst members of LGBTQ+ community'. The force added: 'We want to ensure everyone knows that we are absolutely here for them when they need us.' The LGB Alliance charity called on the rest of the UK's police forces to follow suit on the withdrawal of uniformed officers from such events and to put in place measures around the participation of off-duty officers. The charity's chief executive Kate Barker said: 'Since our founding, LGB Alliance has been working with police and crime commissioners to raise our supporters' concerns about partisan policing that favours gender activists over LGB people. 'We will continue this work until the UK's remaining 42 forces follow the lead of their colleagues in Northumbria, and stop endorsing a movement they do not understand.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store