A man who falsely claimed his luxury electric car was out of control and struck a police car 31 times on the motorway in Merseyside has been jailed for dangerous driving and fraud.

Nathan Owen, 33, from Prestatyn, in North Wales, dialled 999 from his Jaguar I-Pace on 6 March 2024, claiming the brakes had failed and that it was accelerating away from him. 

He was driving at over 86 mph when the police attended and tried to assist him in bringing the car to a safe stop.

Owen continued to drive at high speed and collided with a police car 31 times, before eventually bringing the car to a stop in the fast lane, as three police cars surrounded him.

Police dashcam footage from the scene showed Owen had successfully applied the brakes to stop. Police examined the vehicle and found no faults.

Data also showed the initial 999 call to the police had been made while the car was stationary and had been preceded by a call to a finance company to top up a loan which was refused.

Nevertheless, the day after the incident, Owen contacted the media claiming there were defective brakes in this make of car. 

All of this was a cover story for Owen, who had fallen behind on the finance payments for the car and could not afford to cover the outstanding costs. 

Owen was arrested and charged with dangerous driving and two counts of fraud. He initially pleaded not guilty. 

But at a hearing on 25 June 2026 at Liverpool Crown Court, he changed his plea to guilty. On 3 August 2026, at Liverpool Crown Court, he was sentenced to a total of four years and three months’ imprisonment. He was also disqualified from driving for a total of 80 months. 

Senior Crown Prosecutor Andrew Blennerhassett, of CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said: “Nathan Owen had full control of his vehicle that day. 

"He travelled at extreme speeds, contravened red lights, used his mobile telephone, and collided with emergency vehicles who were deployed to assist him. 

“He created a serious and entirely avoidable risk to other road users and to the police officers involved. 

"The consequences were felt by the wider public, with the motorway having to be closed while the vehicle was recovered, causing substantial disruption and delay to motorists and emergency services. 

“Faced with financial difficulties, Owen devised a calculated and dishonest way to avoid paying the costs of owning a luxury vehicle, by falsely claiming it was defective. 

"His account was quickly exposed as untrue, and his decision to place his own financial interests above public safety has now resulted in a custodial sentence.”