A 33-year-old driver has been sentenced to four years and three months in prison after falsely claiming his Jaguar I-Pace was out of control on a UK motorway, forcing police to intervene in a high-risk stop.
Driver called 999 claiming brakes had failed
Nathan Owen, of Prestatyn, north Wales, dialed emergency services on March 6, 2024, while driving the electric SUV. He told the operator the vehicle’s brakes had failed and it was accelerating uncontrollably. Officers from Merseyside and Greater Manchester police responded by boxing in the Jaguar with multiple patrol cars to bring it to a halt on the motorway.
The car only stopped because its battery ran out, not because Owen applied the brakes. Data retrieved from the vehicle showed he never pressed the brake pedal during the incident, despite his claims to the 999 operator.
Investigation revealed financial motive
An inquiry by Merseyside Police and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) found no mechanical faults with the I-Pace. Instead, evidence pointed to Owen deliberately staging the incident. When initially arrested, he denied any wrongdoing, insisting the car had malfunctioned. But investigators uncovered a pattern of financial distress.
Owen had multiple missed payments on the vehicle’s finance agreement and significant personal debt. Text messages from his phone, recovered during the investigation, showed discussions about how to dispose of the car—including suggestions to have it written off—in the months leading up to the incident.
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At a pre-trial hearing in June, Owen pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and two counts of fraud. He was given an interim driving ban and sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on August 3.
Detective Constable Michael Doyle, who led the investigation, called it “lengthy and complex.” He said Owen’s actions had endangered road workers on the hard shoulder and other motorists. “It was clear from our investigations that he was in full control of his vehicle throughout,” Doyle added.
A JLR spokesperson confirmed the company had assisted police with technical analysis. “There was no evidence of any vehicle-related defect contributing to the incident,” the spokesperson said.
This case highlights the risks of false claims involving vehicle malfunctions, particularly as electric cars rely on digital data that can be scrutinized. While rare, such incidents force emergency services to deploy resources under dangerous conditions, diverting attention from genuine emergencies.
Owen’s sentencing follows a growing trend of courts taking a harder line on fraudulent insurance claims, especially those involving staged accidents or exaggerated mechanical failures. The four-year term reflects both the public safety risk and the financial deception involved.
