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19 August 2025

Stolen BMW Crash At Sunderland Care Home Leaves Two Dead

Two men face sentencing after a police pursuit ended with a stolen car crashing into a Sunderland care home, killing two elderly residents and injuring others.

In the early evening of July 10, 2025, a routine test drive in Fenham, Newcastle, took a harrowing turn that would reverberate through a Sunderland community for weeks to come. What began as a potential car sale ended in tragedy after a stolen BMW 3-series, pursued by Northumbria Police, crashed into the Highcliffe Care Home in Witherwack. The incident left two elderly women dead, eight residents hospitalized, and a community grappling with shock and grief.

According to Sky News, the BMW was reported stolen around 9:20pm. Within fifteen minutes, officers had tracked the car to Sunderland, where the pursuit culminated in a devastating collision with the care home. The impact was severe—photographs from the scene show a gaping hole punched through the brick and stone facade, with debris scattered across the grounds. Residents, many of whom were living with dementia, were forced to evacuate as emergency services rushed to the scene.

Eight people were taken to hospital that night, with one resident suffering spinal fractures, BBC News reported. But the toll would soon rise further. Two days after the crash, Northumbria Police confirmed that two women—one in her 80s and another in her 90s—had died. Neither had been among the eight hospitalized, but both had been evacuated due to the extensive damage to the building. The loss sent ripples of sorrow through the care home and the wider community.

The criminal investigation quickly zeroed in on two young men: Reece Parish, 21, of Fordham Road, Sunderland, and Sam Asgari-Tabar, 21, of no fixed address. Both men appeared before Newcastle Crown Court, where the details of the night’s events were laid bare. Parish, appearing via videolink from HMP Durham, admitted to robbing the BMW during the test drive but denied a charge of kidnapping the woman who was in the car at the time. Asgari-Tabar, who had previously pleaded guilty to robbery and causing serious injury by dangerous driving, also denied kidnapping.

The Crown Prosecution Service indicated it would not proceed with the kidnap charges, and those alleged offences would lie on file. According to The Northern Echo, Judge Robert Spragg addressed the defendants, stating, “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.” Both men were remanded in custody, with sentencing scheduled for October 17, 2025.

Asgari-Tabar’s history added a further layer of gravity to the proceedings. At the time of the crash, he was already serving a suspended sentence imposed just two months earlier after an unrelated violent incident involving his own family. This detail, reported by The Daily Mail, underscored the seriousness with which the court viewed his actions on the night of the crash.

Christopher Knox, defending Parish, told the court that his client was “regretful and apologetic and wants it to be known that is his view at this stage.” Despite this expression of remorse, the consequences of their actions were impossible to ignore. The crash had not only destroyed part of a building but also shattered a sense of safety for vulnerable residents and their families.

Chief Superintendent Mark Hall of Northumbria Police spoke candidly about the case. In a statement echoed across multiple outlets, he 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.”

Despite the severity of the outcome, both Northumbria Police and the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that the two men would not face charges over the deaths of the two elderly women. As reported by Sky News, “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.” The force explained that while the deaths occurred after the crash, there was insufficient evidence to link the men’s actions directly to the fatalities in a way that would satisfy the legal requirements for further charges.

The incident has prompted broader questions about the safety of care home residents and the protocols for police pursuits in residential areas. The Highcliffe Care Home, which specializes in dementia care, was left with extensive structural damage, necessitating the evacuation and relocation of vulnerable residents. The distress caused by such upheaval is difficult to quantify, but the impact on those affected is clear.

The community response has been one of outrage and sorrow. Many have questioned how such a tragedy could unfold from what began as a seemingly ordinary event. The rapid escalation—from a stolen car to a major emergency—highlights the unpredictable consequences of reckless behavior. As one local resident put it, “It’s heartbreaking to think that these women spent their final days in fear and upheaval because of someone else’s actions.”

The legal proceedings, while offering some measure of accountability, have not provided closure for the families of the victims. The fact that no charges will be brought in relation to the deaths has left some feeling that justice remains incomplete. However, authorities have emphasized the importance of adhering strictly to the law and the evidence available. As Chief Superintendent Hall noted, the investigation was thorough and the charges pursued reflected what could be proven in court.

The case has also shone a light on the risks faced by those living in care homes and the responsibilities of both law enforcement and the wider community to protect society’s most vulnerable. The events of July 10 serve as a stark reminder of how quickly lives can be upended by reckless decisions and the far-reaching impact of crime beyond those directly involved.

As the sentencing date approaches, attention remains focused on the outcome for Parish and Asgari-Tabar. Both men are facing the prospect of lengthy jail terms, and the court’s final decision will be closely watched by all those affected. But for the families of the victims and the residents of Highcliffe Care Home, the scars left by that night will not easily fade.

In the aftermath, Sunderland’s community continues to mourn, rebuild, and reflect on the fragile line between safety and tragedy.