'I like big cars because I’m a big man': Boast of obese benefit claimant who owned FIVE high-powered 4x4 cars worth up to £20,000

Peter Owens, 43, was stopped by police five times in just seven months
On one occasion Owens, of Hartlepool, even drove 4x4 along public beach
Banned from driving for three years after admitting string of offences

PUBLISHED: 12:20 EST, 15 April 2013 | UPDATED: 13:27 EST, 17 April 2013

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.

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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 - was stopped by police five times in just seven months last year

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 it

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.

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I would open up the old work houses for long term unemployed. And sanitoriums for people on the sick with "depression/stress", just watch 90% of them start to feel better.

- pogsy , Bangor, 17/4/2013 21:52

Click to rate Rating 18

How can anyone on benefits afford to buy 5 cars - the system is a complete and utter joke - Pilot, Derby, United Kingdom, 16/4/2013 19:19 They cant you have been reading to much DM.

- Herbalist , Swansea, United Kingdom, 17/4/2013 16:52

Click to rate Rating 7

To MoMorris9 .....You said ."Give the man food tokens " I think that's the last thing he needs at the moment !!

- T.C.Davies , Treorchy, 17/4/2013 11:44

Click to rate Rating 18

the man has a car at around valued at around £4000......sells it when he leaves court...buys another one...repeat this every time he goes to court....there you have it £20000 in cars for probs a less than £4000 investment.......this story is just trying to sensationalize the benifits side of things......how would we feel if the story was......SHOCKING ,OBESE MAN WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS END UP IN COURT 5 TIMES DUE TO MOTORING LAWS....

- James Waddell , COATBRIDGE, United Kingdom, 17/4/2013 09:42

Click to rate Rating 8

I cant afford the bus let alone a car...the benefit system needs sorting...

- lincslass , scunthorpe, United Kingdom, 17/4/2013 01:01

Click to rate Rating 8

Is it just me, or am I the only 1 who thinks he looks like he was attacked by a bear? He has blood pouring down both sides of his face!

- Maria , Gangnam, 16/4/2013 23:52

Click to rate Rating 13

This man deserves all benefits, hes local. Strip Poles off all benefits and we can grant them to our folks like this fella. Lovely chap.

- Amelia , Poole, Palau, 16/4/2013 22:45

Click to rate Rating 36

A fat dangerous pig. Cut most of His benefits, crush his cars and make him work for any benefits that are left.