A “foolish” man who crashed his car and fled the scene, before reporting it as stolen and claiming £7,000 from his insurance company, was caught out after his DNA was found on the driver’s airbag. 

Jack Beeke was driving his Volkswagen Golf close to the Cross Guns pub in Egerton at around 9.45pm on August 28, 2020, when he proceeded to drive on the wrong side of the road, overtook other vehicles and crashed head on with another car before mounting the pavement and hitting a wall.

Preston Crown Court heard how Beeke had three passengers in the car with him at the time but all four of them ran from the scene.

Megan Edwards, prosecuting, said: “The Golf was abandoned and was later taken by the police to be forensically analysed.

“At 7.20am the following day, the defendant reported a burglary from his girlfriend’s house in Church Street, Darwen.

“He said he woke up to find the kitchen window had been smashed and his keys taken and his car gone.

“He said he went to his girlfriend’s house and went to bed at 7pm as he had to get up for work at 5am. When asked why he had only reported it at 7.20am he told the police he had slept in.”

Ms Edwards said on August 30 a police officer spoke with the defendant and he provided the same account.

Then, on the following day he called his insurance company, Esure, to claim for the damages and two months later on October 27 Esure settled the claim totalling £7,575, of which £524 went to recover the vehicle and the rest went to Beeke.

Ms Edwards said: “Esure received £1,022.14 after the vehicle had been scrapped resulting in them losing £6,552.”

A number of months later, the police finished their forensic analysis on Beeke’s crashed Golf and found saliva on the driver’s airbag which matched that of the 30-year-old.

In May 2021 he was interviewed and provided no comment but was later arrested and charged.

He initially pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving, fraud by false representation and perverting the course of justice, but changed his pleas a month before he was due to stand trial in August.

Beeke, of Elswick Street, Darwen, was described as foolish by his barrister Tom Worsfold during mitigation.

He said: “This was not about seeking to put anyone else in the frame, it was covering up for mistakes that he made.

“It was selfish but he wasn’t seeking to make a financial gain from the situation, he made foolish decisions under pressure.

“He then found himself trapped by his lies and needed to continue the charade caused by his poor thinking, even though he was going to be found out by what he left at the scene.

“It’s deserving of punishment but he is not a wicked man, but a foolish man.”

Mr Worsfold said Beeke wished to apologise to the person who was in the car that he crashed with and also to the courts.

Sentencing, District Judge Richard Clews said: “If you had come to your senses, this situation, which is entirely of your own making, could have been avoided.

“You persisted in a false claim and the insurance company paid out, however the police were suspicious and had the vehicle examined and it turned out your saliva was on the airbag."

Beeke was jailed for 21 months and upon his release will be disqualified from driving for 15 months. He must sit an extended retest to get his driving licence back.