Carjacker in jail for fire threat

A Rochdale man has been given a five year jail sentence after pouring petrol onto a Good Samaritan and threatening to set him on fire with a lighter during a carjacking on Tyneside.
Steven Owen, 42, of Halliday Court, Littleborough was picked by Peter Oberman in June after the Samaritan believed him to be a motorist in need of assistance.

Owen told Mr Oberman he would 'roast' him unless he handed over the keys to his Ford Fiesta.

He was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court after pleading guilty to five years and nine months for robbery, driving while disqualified and theft.

Mr Oberman drove Owen to a petrol station near to where he had picked him up. Owen had already hidden a bottle of petrol at the scene. He got out of the car, retrieved the petrol and threw it over Mr Oberman.

He flicked the lighter on and threatened to torch Mr Oberman if he did not hand over his car keys.

Owen then drove his victim away from the petrol station and threatened to 'chop up' his family before dropping him at Jarrow Metro station.

Owen was arrested the next day while trying to change the car's number plates to ones that he had stolen from another vehicle.