A motorist who staged a fake brake failure in his electric Jaguar I-Pace, triggering a major police response across Merseyside’s motorway network, has been jailed for over four years.
Nathan Owen, 33, from Prestatyn in North Wales, called 999 on 6 March 2024 claiming the brakes on his I-Pace had failed and that the car was accelerating out of his control. Officers responded believing they were dealing with a genuine emergency, escorting the vehicle across the M58, M57 and M62 as it travelled at speeds of more than 86mph. Owen struck a police car 31 times during the incident before it was eventually brought to a stop in the fast lane, boxed in by three police vehicles.
The Crown Prosecution Service said the reality was very different from what Owen had described. Dashcam footage showed he successfully applied the brakes to stop the car, and a full examination found no fault with the vehicle. Investigators also discovered the initial 999 call had actually been made while the car was stationary — and that it followed a call to a finance company asking to top up a loan, which had been refused.
Owen initially pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving, causing a public nuisance and two counts of fraud, before changing his plea to guilty at a hearing in June 2026. He was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on 3 August 2026 to four years and three months in prison, and disqualified from driving for a total of 80 months.
Senior Crown Prosecutor Andrew Blennerhassett said Owen had been in full control of his vehicle throughout, while Detective Constable Michael Doyle of Merseyside Police said the case had involved a lengthy and complex investigation to disprove Owen’s claims that the car was faulty, adding that his actions had put road workers, police officers and other motorists at risk.
For drivers, it’s a reminder of just how seriously fabricated emergency calls are taken — and the scale of the police resources a false report like this can end up costing.
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