Twins ran onto M6 before one stabbed Good Samaritan to death

Swedish sisters Sabina and Ursula Eriksson were at the centre of a bizarre case

08:51, 10 Aug 2025

Twin sisters who ran at traffic on the M6 before one stabbed a Good Samaritan to death are set to feature in a new show.

The horrific events of 2008 will be retold in a new documentary from the team behind Traffic Cops, Inside The Force and The Crash Investigators.

Swedish sisters Sabina and Ursula Eriksson were suffering from a shared psychosis when one went on to kill.

But before 2008, the sisters were said to lead 'normal lives' as they grew up in their native Sweden from their birth in 1967.

In 2000, Ursula relocated to the USA, while Sabina decided to reside in County Cork, Ireland, with her partner and two children.

But when the pair came to England on holiday, it ended in tragedy.

The siblings, both 40, enjoyed some time in Merseyside before boarding a National Express coach from Liverpool to London on May 16, 2008.

As the bus approached Keele Services on the M6, their behaviour became increasingly erratic, StokeonTrentLive reports.[2]

Police were called to the scene but the identical sisters were allowed to go on their way after being deemed harmless.

Shortly after, Sabina and Ursula walked down the central reservation of the M6 before attempting to cross to the other side.

A film crew just happened to be recording for the BBC[3] series Motorway Cops and captured the ordeal.

Shocking footage caught Sabina running out in front of an oncoming Volkswagen Polo.

She was knocked out for 15 minutes but ran across the carriageway again when she regained consciousness.

At about 3pm, the Highways Agency received a report that two people were on the motorway.

Sabina was found lying in lane three of the motorway.

Ursula, who had been climbing over the central reservation, was struck by a lorry travelling at about 56mph and broke two of her legs.

Both women miraculously survived.

When police arrived, Sabina punched a female officer and ran into traffic again.

She was eventually restrained and handcuffed.

Ursula screamed and spat at officers helping the sisters.

The twins were taken to hospital via an air ambulance, with Sabina taken into police custody.

On May 19, 2008 she admitted trespass on the motorway and assaulting a police officer at Fenton Magistrates' Court.

She was sentenced to one day in prison, already served having spent a night in the cells, so was free to walk without a full psychiatric evaluation.

When she was freed, Sabina began to wander the streets of Stoke-on-Trent in an attempt to find her twin sister.

At 7pm, she was spotted by two men walking a dog in Christchurch Street, Fenton - one of which was 54-year-old Glenn Hollinshead.

Sabina asked Mr Hollinshead and his friend Peter Molloy if they knew of any nearby bed and breakfasts or hotels.

Taking pity on her, the self-employed welder offered her a place to rest her head in his home in Duke Street, Fenton.

Mr Hollinshead, an ex-paramedic in the RAF, became alarmed by Sabina's behaviour and left his home just before midnight.

Sabina stayed the night.

The next day, he tried to help Sabina find her twin sister but tragedy struct at 7.40pm as dinner was prepared.

Sabina stabbed Mr Hollinshead four times with a kitchen knife.

The victim staggered out of his home, telling a neighbour "she stabbed me" before collapsing in an alleyway and dying.

Frantic neighbours dialled 999 as Sabina, armed with a hammer, fled.

While on the run, she bashed her own head with the hammer and struck a concerned passing motorist with a roof tile she had in her pocket.

Her pursuit finally came to an end in Heron Cross, where she jumped from a 40ft high bridge onto the A50.

She broke both ankles and fractured her skull.

No traces of alcohol or drugs were found in her system.

Sabina was arrested on June 6, 2008 at University Hospital of North Staffordshire[4].

Both sisters were released from hospital in September and relocated back to Sweden before moving to the United States.

After originally being charged with murder, Sabina admitted manslaughter with diminished responsibility.

Her plea was accepted by the prosecution at Nottingham Crown Court on September 2, 2010.

Sabina offered no explanation for her actions which resulted in the death of an innocent man.

But her lawyer suggested in court that she was a 'secondary' sufferer of folie ? deux, influenced by the 'primary' sufferer - in this case, her twin sister.

They also said Sabina was suffering from a rare psychiatric disorder which made her hear voices.

Folie ? deux is also known as 'shared psychosis', in which delusional beliefs are transmitted from one individual to another.

It would have meant that Sabina was highly susceptible to influence from her sister and was acting in such a way because of her twin's actions.

Breaking court news straight to your WhatsApp

BirminghamLive readers will get the latest from court through our WhatsApp community[5].

All you have to do is click this link[6] and select 'Join Chat' and you are in.

We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.

If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like by selecting 'exit group'.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN[7]

Mr Justice Saunders sentenced Sabina to five years behind bars and she was sent to Bronzefield Women's Prison, where she turned to Christianity.

He said: "While the mental illness resolved quickly, both psychiatrists agree it was serious and that she behaved in the way she did because of her illness.

"Her culpability for her behaviour is, on the medical evidence, accordingly low.

"She was suffering from delusions which she believed to be true and they dictated her behaviour.

"It is also not one of those cases where the defendant could have done something to avoid the onset.

"It had a sudden onset, it was a serious illness while it lasted and it resolved rapidly."

Sabina was eligible for release in 2011 after spending 439 days in custody ahead of sentencing.

Mr Hollinshead's brother Garry said he believed that the criminal justice system had failed his late brother and the general public by allowing Sabina to walk free in society just two days after she cheated death and endangered the lives of others.

He said: "If she is being considered to be mentally unfit at the time of committing a crime, there has to be a process.

"I do question the criminal justice system for allowing somebody like this to be let out when she is capable of committing such a crime.

"Her mental condition should have been properly assessed after what she did on the motorway and the experiences the police had.

"Her mental disorder should have been picked up prior to her being let out in to the community.

"We don't hold her [Sabina] responsible, the same as we wouldn't blame a rabid dog for biting someone.

"She is ill and to a large degree, not responsible for her actions.

But her mental disorder should have been recognised much earlier."

Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the BirminghamLive newsletter here[8].

References

1. ^ Sleazy police sergeant slapped woman's bottom in office and sent 'sexts' to junior officers (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
2. ^ StokeonTrentLive reports. (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
3. ^ BBC (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
4. ^ Staffordshire (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
5. ^ our WhatsApp community (chat.whatsapp.com)
6. ^ click this link (chat.whatsapp.com)
7. ^ CLICK HERE TO JOIN (chat.whatsapp.com)
8. ^ Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the BirminghamLive newsletter here (www.birminghammail.co.uk)