Second man admits robbery in care home BMW crash case

South Wales Guardian

2 days ago

Two elderly residents at Highcliffe Care Home, Witherwack, died following the crash which happened last month.
Reece Parish, of Fordham Road, Sunderland, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court via a videolink from prison to admit robbery.
He denied a kidnap charge relating to a woman who was in the BMW 3-series while he and co-accused Sam Asgari-Tabar took it for a test drive.
Asgari-Tabar, of no fixed address, had previously admitted robbery and causing serious injury by dangerous driving to an elderly care home resident who suffered spinal fractures when the car smashed into the building, punching a large hole in the structure.
Judge Robert Spragg said the men will be sentenced on October 17 and he remanded the pair in custody.
He told them: 'You have both very sensibly pleaded guilty to these matters and you will be given credit for that from the sentencing judge in due course.'
Christopher Knox, for Parish, said the defendant was 'regretful and apologetic' about what happened.
At the time of the crash, Asgari-Tabar was subject to a suspended sentence imposed in May, the court heard.
The Crown Prosecution Service indicated that it will not proceed with the kidnap charges against the pair and those alleged offences will lie on file.
Northumbria Police were alerted to reports of a stolen car in Fenham, Newcastle, on the evening of July 10 and a suspect vehicle was spotted in the Sunderland area 15 minutes later.
A pursuit then followed which ended with the BMW crashing into the care home, causing extensive structural damage to the building.
Initially, Northumbria Police said eight residents required hospital treatment.
Two days later, 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 and police inquiries were ongoing.
After the hearing, Chief Superintendent Mark Hall, of Northumbria Police, said: 'This was a shocking incident in one of our communities – the actions of both men that night were incredibly reckless.
'I am pleased the swift and diligent work of all involved in our investigation left them with no choice but to admit their guilt at court.'
Northumbria Police confirmed on Tuesday that the two men will not face charges over the deaths of the two women.
The force said: 'Following the incident, two care home residents died a short time later but no criminal proceedings are to be brought in relation to the deaths.'