Driver who crashed stolen BMW into care home jailed for over five years

A driver who crashed a stolen BMW into a care home after leading police on a 100mph chase has been jailed for more than five years.

A 94-year-old woman with dementia was among the elderly residents injured when the car slammed into Highcliffe Care Home in Witherwack, Sunderland, causing the floor of the upstairs lounge to collapse.

Sam Asgari-Tabar, 21, was behind the wheel of the BMW 3-Series that he had stolen along with Reece Parish earlier in the evening of July 10 in Fenham, Newcastle.

On Tuesday, Asgari-Tabar was jailed for five years and two months after pleading guilty to robbery and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Judge Stephen Earl also activated a suspended prison sentence of six months that he had been subject to at the time of the crash for assaulting his parents.

Parish, 21, of Fordham Road, Sunderland, was jailed for 19 months after pleading guilty to robbery. He was also sentenced to a further 18 months for violent disorder in Sunderland during last summer’s riots.

Judge Earl said the case was one of the worst examples of dangerous driving he had seen in his career, adding: “It is amazing to me there was not more damage or injury.”

He described the damage to the care home and residents as “catastrophic” and appalling,” saying: “Many of the residents (who had dementia) were unable to comprehend that which has happened to them, other than the fear and shock it must have engendered in them as this appalling accident took place.”

Newcastle Crown Court previously heard that the two defendants went to check out the BMW, which was advertised for sale on Facebook, before driving off with a terrified woman who was selling it on behalf of a relative still in it.

They eventually managed to remove her before speeding off again.

Police began to follow the pair and video played in court showed the pursuing officers reaching 100mph on residential streets in Sunderland to keep up.

It ultimately hit an exterior wall of Highcliffe Care Home, causing the ceiling to collapse.

One 94-year-old woman suffered fractured vertebrae, and the court heard that she previously enjoyed activities at the care home but has since lost her enthusiasm and has to wear a brace.

Body-worn camera footage showed the scene as officers entered the wrecked building to try to rescue injured residents.

CCTV from the building showed Parish flee the scene but Asgari-Tabar was arrested near to the car.

The care home, which can accommodate people with dementia, had to be evacuated.

It suffered damage costing £260,000 and the loss of capacity cost the owners £411,000, the court heard.

Two elderly residents died following the crash but their deaths do not form part of the prosecution case.