Car insurance news

Ferrari scam man loses cheap car insurance

A businessman who crashed his £92,000 Ferrari at a Belgian racetrack before shipping it back to England told police he was involved in a hit-and-run smash with a lorry, a court has heard.

Richard Challen concocted the elaborate hoax after his wife forgot to send a fax to his car insurance company to arrange cover for the event. He even went as far as creating an imaginary whiplash injury and told officers that the lorry drove off after colliding with his Ferrari Berlinetta 355 F1.

The 57-year-old from Surrey then contacted his motor insurance firm and made a claim for £35,000. Staff at Royal & Sun Alliance were suspicious of his story and contacted the police. When he was questioned he broke down and finally confessed to the scam.

He admitted that he'd taken his supercar across to Belgium to take part in a Ferrari owners' club track-driving day on the Grand Prix circuit at Spa, damaging the vehicle on a tight corner.

At Guildford Crown Court he pleaded guilty to attempting to obtain goods by deception and was given a 51-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

A spokesperson for Duck2Water Car Insurance Services, providers of cheap car insurance, said, "This gentleman would have been paying a hefty sum for his motor insurance anyway, but now I think he'll find it's gone up even more."