Police chief sacked for lying about Navy career apologises for ‘stolen valour’

Mr Adderley faced a disciplinary after claims emerged that he wore medals he was not entitled to display

A chief constable sacked for faking his Royal Navy career has apologised to veterans after a misconduct panel ruled he lied with “staggering audacity”.

Nick Adderley,57,of Northamptonshire Police “built a military naval legend that wasn’t true” and implied he served in the Falklands War despite being only 15 when the conflict began in 1982,the panel said.

On Friday,the panel chaired by Callum Cowx – who served in the Royal Navy,the Army and the police – found all allegations against Mr Adderley proven.

The panel said it found “his audacity to be quite staggering”,adding that he had lied over many years with “arrogant temerity”.

Mr Cowx said the case raised “serious public concerns” about the vetting of officers and “alarm bells should have been ringing” when Mr Adderley applied to be chief constable.

Mr Adderley was dismissed without notice and placed on the police barred list by the panel,which said his “sustained brazen dishonesty and sustained lack of integrity will cause lasting harm to the police service”.

He has 10 days to appeal against the decision.

Mr Adderley built a naval legend that wasn't true

Credit: Steve Reigate

The misconduct hearing in Northampton heard Mr Adderley wore a South Atlantic Medal (SAM),awarded to British military personnel and civilians for service in the Falklands conflict,that was deemed “110 per cent” fake by a Ministry of Defence medal expert.

Mr Adderley claimed on his CV and his application form when applying to become chief constable of Northamptonshire Police in 2018 that he had been in the Royal Navy for 10 years when he had served for only two. He had apparently included his service with the Sea Cadets from the age of 10 in that calculation.

He also lied about attending the prestigious Britannia Royal Naval College for four years,despite having his application to the college rejected.

Only an able seaman

Mr Adderley said he had seen active service during his naval career,had been a military negotiator in Haiti,despite never visiting the country,and had been a “commander or a lieutenant”,even though he only achieved the rank of able seaman.

He had claimed that the SAM he had been pictured wearing a number of times since 2012 had been given to him by his brother Richard when he emigrated to Australia.

The panel was told on Thursday,however,that Mr Adderley did not embark for The Falklands until July 2 1982,with the hostilities ending around three weeks previously on June 14.

Nick Adderley has been sacked from his job with Northamptonshire Police

Credit: Jacob King/PA

Mr Cowx said: “Mr Adderley has a genuinely fascinating success story to tell. He joined the Royal Navy as a rating,a career was not for him.

“He found his vocation in policing and rose from able seaman to chief constable and that’s an amazing achievement worth telling,but something in Nick Adderley told him that wasn’t enough.”

‘Stolen valour’

The misconduct hearing was earlier told by John Beggs KC,representing the office of the Northamptonshire police,fire and crime commissioner,that media claims of “stolen valour” were not exaggerated.

Mr Cowx said: “Mr Beggs described his actions as stolen valour and that’s precisely what it is – by wearing medals he was not entitled to wear,he stole their richly deserved valour and recognition and his explanation was risible.

“He knew he was not entitled to wear the medals.”

Mr Cowx questioned why nobody who was vetting the applicants picked up on the inaccuracies in Mr Adderley’s CV and application form.

He said: “There is ongoing and serious public concern about the vetting of police officers yet here is someone who managed to slip under the radar.”

‘Deep regrets’

Mr Adderley did not attend the final day of the misconduct hearing,despite being directed to by Mr Cowx,but a statement was read out on his behalf by his barrister Matthew Holdcroft,who said he “deeply regrets” any offence his medal-wearing may have caused veterans.

He added: “[I] feel bitterly disappointed in myself that I did not take more care or was more considerate when displaying my own medals alongside those handed to me.

“My ambition was to share and promote the incredible work of armed forces personnel and to proudly speak of the debt of gratitude that we all owe those who serve,and who have served our country,and not to offend or devalue the contributions they have made in defending our freedoms.

“To those veterans I have offended,I apologise unreservedly.”

‘Police reputation damaged’

Danielle Stone,the Northamptonshire police,said in a statement: “This case has put Northamptonshire Police in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

“We now need to set out to restore a reputation for honesty and integrity,which are fundamental values.”

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) referred an evidential file to the Crown Prosecution Service for them to consider any potential criminal charges in April.

Emily Barry,IOPC regional director,said: “The panel’s findings show that Mr Adderley’s conduct had fallen well below the professional standards of any police officer,never mind a chief constable.”