CAR THIEVES HIT CARE HOME AFTER FLEEING FROM POLICE

A 94-YEAR-OLD woman suffered a broken neck and spine and had to be dug out of rubble after a car thief crashed into a care home with so much force a ceiling collapsed on to her.

- By ROB KENNEDY

Sam Asgari-Tabar was trying to flee from police in a BMW he had stolen with Reece Parish and had topped 100mph in a desperate bid to get away.

As he approached Highcliffe Care Home, on Whitchurch Road, in Witherwack, Sunderland, he lost control and the car hit the building at speed.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the impact was so great it caused the first floor to collapse in on the ground floor.

The court heard a 94-year-old, who has dementia, suffered fractured vertebrae and had to be pulled out of the rubble by firefighters. Several other elderly residents were also injured and the building suffered £260,000 of damage and the home lost £411,000, the court heard. Two elderly residents died following the crash but their deaths do not form part of the prosecution case.

Earlier that day, on July 10, Asgari-Tabar and Parish had attended a house in Fenham, Newcastle, on the premise of buying a BMW 3 series. Having haggled the price down, they asked for a lift to a cashpoint to withdraw money.