Ferrari racer ends up a loser
The Daily Telegraph / 29th March 2006
A businessman who crashed his £92,000 Ferrari at a race track in Belgium tried to claim for a £35,000 repair bill after inventing a hit-and-run accident, a court heard.

Richard Challen, 57, a garage owner, admitted making up the crash after his wife forgot to send a fax to his insurers to arrange cover for the
event.

He walked into a police station and said his Ferrari Berlinetta 355 F1, which has a top speed of 183mph, had been wrecked in a collision with a
lorry near his home in Esher, Surrey.

In an elaborate invention, he said that the lorry driver failed to stop and claimed that he had suffered whiplash injuries.

He then filled out an accident report form for his insurers, Royal & Sun Alliance. The company was suspicious of the claim and contacted police, Giles Curtis-Raleigh, prosecuting, told Guildford Crown Court.

When interviewed by a police officer Challen broke down and confessed that he had made up the story.

He pleaded guilty to attempting to obtain goods by deception and was given a 51-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

The court heard that Challen, who owns a car dealership in Richmond, Surrey, had taken his car to the Grand Prix track at Spa to put it through its paces at a Ferrari owners' club track-driving day.