A motorist who falsely claimed his electric car had gone out of control on a motorway in an attempt to avoid paying off his finance agreement has been jailed. Nathan Owen, from Prestatyn, North Wales, was sentenced to four years and three months’ imprisonment after admitting dangerous driving and two counts of fraud. The incident unfolded on 6 March 2024, when Owen called 999 claiming his Jaguar I-Pace had malfunctioned, telling emergency operators that the vehicle was accelerating uncontrollably and that he was unable to brake.
38-Mile Police Pursuit
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Owen drove for around 35 minutes, covering 38 miles across the M58, M57 and M62 in Merseyside at speeds of up to 86mph. Police officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but during the pursuit Owen deliberately rammed a police car 31 times as officers tried to bring the situation to a safe conclusion. Eventually, emergency service vehicles boxed in the Jaguar on the M62 near Warrington, bringing it to a stop after the vehicle’s battery became depleted. Motorways were temporarily closed during the incident to protect the public.
False Emergency Call
Prosecutor Eric Lamb told the court Owen had entered into a finance agreement for the electric Jaguar in September 2023, but had fallen into financial difficulty and was around £5,000 behind on repayments by March the following year. Just minutes before calling 999, Owen had contacted a loan company seeking to borrow more money after already taking out a £3,000 loan, but his request was refused. The court heard that despite telling emergency operators his vehicle was accelerating uncontrollably, the car was actually stationary when he made the call. Investigators later established there had been no mechanical fault with the Jaguar.
Extensive Investigation
A joint investigation between Merseyside Police and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) found the vehicle had been operating normally throughout the incident. Police said data recovered from the vehicle showed Owen never applied the brakes, despite repeatedly claiming during the emergency call that he was trying to stop. The investigation concluded the only reason the vehicle eventually came to a halt was because it ran out of battery power.
Company Spent Millions Countering Claims
The court also heard Owen sold his story to two newspapers, receiving hundreds of pounds. Jaguar Land Rover told the court the false allegations damaged public confidence in its vehicles, forcing the company to spend an additional £50 million on marketing to counter the negative publicity.
Judge: “He Sought to Profit From a Lie”
Sentencing Owen, the judge said he had “sought to profit from a lie”, while defence barrister Daniel Travers described his client’s actions as “frighteningly stupid”. Owen, who had no previous convictions, was also disqualified from driving for five years following his release from prison. The case highlights the serious consequences of making false emergency calls and the risks posed to emergency service workers and other road users by dangerous driving.
