Phil Mccann

Nathan Owen was sentenced to four years and three months in prison after falsely claiming that his Jaguar I-Pace could not stop while travelling at high speed on motorways in Merseyside. Police boxed in the car after it travelled 38 miles and collided several times with a police vehicle. The court found that Owen fabricated the incident to escape his vehicle finance agreement and later sold the story to newspapers for £800. The false claims reportedly caused Jaguar Land Rover to spend £50m responding to adverse publicity. Owen was also disqualified from driving for five years and required to pass an extended driving test.

Nathan Owen was jailed for four years and three months after falsely claiming that his Jaguar I-Pace had lost its brakes while travelling on motorways in Merseyside. The court found that he deliberately fabricated the incident to escape a vehicle-finance agreement and later sold the story to The Sun and Daily Mail for £800. He drove at speeds of up to 86mph, ran red lights and collided with a police vehicle before officers stopped him after a 38-mile pursuit. The deception triggered a major police response, endangered officers and the public, and caused Jaguar Land Rover significant reputational and financial damage. Owen was also disqualified from driving for five years and must pass an extended test before returning to the road.

Police in Greater Manchester recovered a record £18.2 million in criminal assets between April 2025 and April 2026, including cash, gold bars and unusual high-value items such as sporting memorabilia and collectible toys. Officers attribute the trend to money launderers using easily transportable goods to disguise criminal proceeds. Funds from seized assets are shared between the government and local police, with some directed toward community policing, victim compensation and charitable initiatives, including a youth rowing programme expanding its services in the region.