Skip to main content

'I like big cars because I’m a big man': Boast of obese benefit claimant

An obese benefits claimant who boasted about his state-funded lifestyle was caught driving five high-powered 4x4 cars - all without insurance.

Peter Owens, 43, was stopped by police five times in just seven months last year, each time behind the wheel of a different plush vehicle.

But he will not be able to drive any of his cars for three years after he was banned by magistrates for a string of vehicle offences.



Banned: Peter Owens who boasted about his benefit-funded lifestyle was caught driving five high-powered 4x4 cars - all without insurance

Magistrates said they wanted to give him a jail sentence for his repeated flouting of driving laws, but said their powers did not allow it.

He was first caught driving an uninsured Jeep Cherokee in Barnard Castle, County Durham, on May 31 last year.

Then in July, he was caught in a Mitsubishi Shogun in Kilburn, North Yorkshire, when he sped off from police. The vehicle was later found to have no insurance. The following month, Owens was caught in a Land Rover Discovery at The Lanyard on Hartlepool marina.

A police check soon revealed he was not insured to drive it. In November Owens was caught behind the wheel of an uninsured Suzuki Vitara while poaching with others in North Yorkshire.

And just a week later he was stopped again, this time in an uninsured Ford Maverick on Catcote Road, in Hartlepool.



Caught: Owens - seen here driving along a beach a Seaton Carew, Teeside last year - was stopped by police five times in just seven months last year

Owens pleaded guilty to five offences of having no insurance, one of failing to produce a licence, one of having no licence, failing to produce insurance documents, and to poaching. He was disqualified from driving for three years and fined £550 at Hartlepool Magistrates' Court.

John Relton, mitigating, said: 'He does not seek to trivialise these offences. He now regrets his actions.'

Chairman of the bench, Lynne Hodgson, told Owens: 'We did consider the most serious sentencing we could impose, a curfew and we even considered custody. Unfortunately, our guidelines don't enable us to do that, the offences don't carry custodial or curfew sentences.

'If you are found driving when you are disqualified you could go to prison. You must not get behind the wheel of a car.'

Owens, of Sydenham Road, Hartlepool, has achieved national notoriety for his boasting about his lifestyle on benefits. He previously bought a quad bike with cash left over from a £1,000 grant he had been given to redecorate his house.



Standstill: The court heard he had brought the sea front at Seaton Carew to a standstill when he drove his 4x4 along the beach

In 2009, he was given a lenient sentence at Teesside Crown Court for a baseball bat attack because of health problems connected to his size. Last year, he complained after his Vauxhall Zafira mobility car was taken from him after he was fined for not having a licence for it.

Last September, Owens brought Seaton Carew to a standstill for nine hours when he drove up and down the beach in another of his 4x4s. He later apologised for the disruption blaming the episode on physical and mental health problems.

His last court appearance saw him spared jail in January after he was found guilty of blackmailing a car wash boss he threatened after a machine damaged the wheels on Owens' S-Type Jaguar. He told the trial jury: 'I like big cars because I am a big man.'The judge handed him a suspended prison sentence, again because of Owens health problems.

Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o