Men in court after women die following care home crash

Two men have appeared in court after a stolen BMW crashed into a care home in Sunderland following a police chase.

Two Highcliffe Care Home residents, a woman in her 80s and another in her 90s, died the day after the crash and their deaths are still being investigated, police said.

Sam Asgari-Tabar and Reece Parish, both 21, appeared at Newcastle Magistrates' Court charged with robbery of a BMW 3-series and the kidnap of a woman selling the car and who was in the vehicle for a test-drive.

Mr Asgari-Tabar, of no fixed address, is also charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, said to be a care home resident who suffered spinal fractures.

The pair appeared separately but both were remanded in custody to appear at Newcastle Crown Court on 11 August.

On Wednesday night, officers had been following a BMW that had been reported stolen from an address in Fenham, Newcastle, at around 21:20 BST.

Police were authorised to pursue the vehicle, which crashed into the care home in Witherwack around five minutes later.

Northumbria Police said a woman involved in the proposed sale of the car was inside when it was driven off and forcibly removed a short time later.

She was left shaken but uninjured, the force added.

Due to the police pursuit, a mandatory referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

A total of eight care home residents were taken to hospital after the crash. Of those, only one was still in hospital by Friday evening.

The women who died were among residents evacuated to other care homes. Northumbria Police is considering whether the crash contributed to their deaths.

In court, Mr Parish, from Sunderland, had several supporters in the public gallery.

As he was taken down to the cells, they shouted: "We are all with you.

"Take care of yourself, we all love you, mate."

In a separate matter, Mr Parish has also been charged with violent disorder in connection with events in Sunderland city centre on August 2 last year.

Additional reporting by PA Media.