Key facts
- Nathan Owen faked brake failure in his electric Jaguar I-Pace to avoid finance payments.
- He drove at speeds up to 86 mph on motorways for approximately 35 minutes, covering 38 miles.
- During the pursuit, Owen struck a police car 31 times.
- Investigations found no mechanical faults with the vehicle.
- Owen sold his fabricated story to The Sun and Daily Mail for £800.
- He was sentenced to four years and three months in prison and a five-year driving ban.
Nathan Owen, 33, has been sentenced to four years and three months in prison for faking a brake failure in his electric Jaguar I-Pace to avoid finance payments. The incident occurred on March 6, 2024, when Owen, facing financial difficulties and owing approximately £5,000 on his vehicle finance, called emergency services claiming his car was accelerating uncontrollably and its brakes had failed. At the time of the 999 call, the vehicle was stationary.
Owen then drove the Jaguar at speeds up to 86 mph across the M58, M57, and M62 motorways in Merseyside for about 35 minutes, covering 38 miles. During the pursuit, he struck a police car 31 times. Police eventually stopped the vehicle by boxing it in to protect other road users. Subsequent investigations found no mechanical faults with the car, confirming Owen had fabricated the events.
Following the incident, Owen contacted his finance company and sold his false story to The Sun and the Daily Mail for a total of £800. The false allegations led to significant negative publicity for Jaguar Land Rover UK, costing the company an additional £50 million in marketing efforts to counteract over 180 pieces of adverse media coverage. Owen pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and two counts of fraud. He was also banned from driving for five years upon his release from custody.