A man who falsely claimed his luxury electric Jaguar had malfunctioned on the motorway and could not brake has been jailed. Nathan Owen, 33, called police on 6 March 2024, stating his Jaguar I-Pace was "not stopping" as he drove on the M57 in Merseyside.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Owen had "fabricated the events" to "get rid of the vehicle" and exit his finance agreement. He later sold his story to tabloid newspapers.
Owen, of Prestatyn, north Wales, admitted dangerous driving and two counts of fraud last month. He was sentenced to four years and three months in prison. The car travelled 38 miles (61 km) along the M57 and M58 before police cars brought it to a stop on the M62 near Junction 12 at Birchwood, Warrington.
Owen was also disqualified from driving for five years and until an extended driving test has been passed. The court heard that Jaguar Land Rover was forced to allocate £50m in marketing costs to counter the negative publicity resulting from Owen's claims.