Driver of ‘rogue’ electric car denies fraud charges

A motorist who claimed his luxury electric car accelerated “on its own” on the motorway has made his first appearance in court charged with fraud.

Nathan Owen, 32, from Prestatyn, North Wales, called police for assistance on March 6 last year, to report his Jaguar I-Pace vehicle was speeding out of control and the brakes were not working.

Officers scrambled to intercept the vehicle, which had travelled along the eastbound carriageways of the M57, M62 and M58 motorways in Merseyside before it was eventually brought to a stop.

On Wednesday, Owen attended Liverpool Magistrates’ Court where he indicated not guilty pleas to dangerous driving, intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance and two counts of fraud.

False representation

On the fraud matters it is alleged he made a false representation to CA Auto Finance that the Jaguar was faulty and was accelerating on its own with the brakes unresponsive

It is also said that he made the same claims to The Sun and Daily Mail newspapers, with the intention of causing loss to the Jaguar company or exposing it to risk of loss.

Prosecutor Renee Southern told the court that it was the Crown’s case that the defendant had “persistently and dishonestly” claimed the vehicle was defective.

Payments

She said Owen wanted to “get rid” of the vehicle and thus avoid further payments totalling £4,426 to the finance company.

Police made manoeuvres to box the Jaguar in, which led to motorway closures and substantial delays, the court heard.

Owen, of The Grove, was released on unconditional bail to attend a further hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on September 10, when he is expected to enter formal pleas.

Previously, he had reportedly said he was on his way home from work on the first day of his job as a children’s support worker and feared he would die or kill someone else during the journey on March 6.