Dashcam footage has been released showing a Jaguar ramming a police car at nearly 90mph after the driver falsely claimed his brakes had failed. Nathan Owen, 33, of The Grove in Prestatyn, North Wales, was jailed for four years and three months at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday after admitting dangerous driving and two counts of fraud by false representation.
Fabricated defect to escape finance agreement
Owen, a former teaching assistant, invented the defect to get out of a finance agreement he could not afford. He took out the agreement for the electric Jaguar iPace with CA Auto Finance UK Ltd on March 8, 2023, and borrowed a further £3,000 with additional fixed interest amounting to £2,420.23 from a firm called Plata a month later, to be repaid at £90 per month.
He fell into arrears after losing his job as a teaching assistant and later as a clerical agent, and had tried to sell the car between July and October 2023. On January 1, 2024, he messaged a friend: "Right, best way to get rid of my car and get away with it." The friend replied: "Make a crash look not your fault."
Police pursuit on M62
On March 6, Owen contacted 999 claiming his car "wouldn't brake" and was "accelerating away from him," but it was actually stationary at the time. Police boxed him in on the M62 after a pursuit covering 38 miles across the M58, M57 and M62, during which he reached speeds of up to 86mph and collided with a police car 31 times.
Prosecutor Eric Lamb said: "In fact, his car was stationary at the time. Police attended the incident at high speed and had to box the defendant in following a pursuit to ensure the safety of others on the motorway. When the police found the defendant's car, it continued at speeds of up to 86mph on the motorway and, in fact, tapped into the back of the police car in front of him on several occasions, the defendant saying he had no control."
Investigation disproved claims
An investigation found no fault with the vehicle. Data showed the acceleration and braking worked according to the defendant. Owen later sold his story to the S*n newspaper and Daily Mail for £300 and £500 respectively. His actions prompted Jaguar Land Rover to spend £50million to "counter adverse publicity" following 180 media articles.
Roads policing investigator Detective Constable Michael Doyle said: "This was a lengthy and complex investigation, during which we were able to disprove Owen's claims that his vehicle was faulty. It was clear from our investigations that he was in full control of his vehicle throughout the duration of the incident. By his own admission, there were workers on the hard shoulder of the motorway, and he clearly put them and other road users in danger with his reckless actions."
Sentencing
Judge Ian Unsworth KC said: "You deliberately created the false appearance of a catastrophic Jaguar motor vehicle malfunction and drove dangerously for some 38 miles, causing a major police operation and widespread public alarm. You then dishonestly repeated those allegations, with massive harm caused to Jaguar Land Rover."
He added: "The police believed you. They had every reason to do so. Faced with what appeared to be a grave emergency, officers from various forces mobilised to protect the public. Roads were cleared. Traffic was halted. Police officers placed themselves in danger. The risk of catastrophe was obvious. Mercifully, no members of the public were injured. No police were injured. That was because experienced officers intervened and good fortune prevailed."
Owen's father gasped in the public gallery as the sentence was read, while Owen showed no reaction. Judge Unsworth commended DC Doyle's investigation, saying: "It is clear to me that those officers involved in that deployment were extremely brave, courageous and professional. It is equally clear that, but for the hard work of the investigating team, this fraud may never have been uncovered. I wish to commend the officer in the case, who has put together an exhaustive analysis."
