‘Walter Mitty’ police chief is granted non-public misconduct listening to

A ‘Walter Mitty’ police chief has been granted a personal gross misconduct listening to after he was accused of carrying a Falklands War medal regardless of solely being 15 on the time of the battle.

Suspended Northamptonshire Police chief constable Nick Adderley faces an accelerated disciplinary listening to following claims he ‘stole valour’ and misrepresented his previous by carrying a Falklands War marketing campaign medal.

But Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire Stephen Mold introduced on Friday night that the listening to by an unbiased panel on Wednesday, February 28, would happen in non-public.

Mr Adderley, a 57-year-old married father-of-two, was among the many frontrunners to tackle the Met earlier than Sir Mark Rowley grew to become commissioner in 2022.

He is accused of carrying the South Atlantic Medal at a string of occasions together with the Police Bravery Awards in July. 

Nick Adderley faces a disciplinary listening to following allegations he misrepresented his previous by carrying a Falklands War marketing campaign medal 

Mr Adderley would have solely been 15-years-old on the time of the battle with Argentina in 1982

Mr Adderley pinned the 1982 marketing campaign medal to his chest – regardless of not becoming a member of the Royal Navy till two years later

Northamptonshire’s police and crime commissioner mentioned the choice to pursue gross misconduct proceedings in opposition to him was taken after the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IPOC) produced a report which concluded there was a case to reply.

Video footage has revealed how Mr Adderley – who earns £165,000-a-year – flaunted the South Atlantic Medal, which was awarded to British army personnel who served within the 1982 conflict between Britain and Argentina.

A criticism was acquired from a member of the general public, earlier than a compulsory referral of the criticism was made to the IPOC who at the moment are wanting into the allegations. 

‘Stolen Valour’ is the time period generally utilized to the act of carrying army medals or decorations that haven’t been earned with the intent to deceive.

It is just not an offence within the UK for people to put on medals or decorations that they weren’t awarded – however it’s an offence to put on a army medal with out permission, based on the UK Parliament’s briefing on Stolen Valour.

A photograph from 2020 seems to indicate brother Rick carrying his Falklands medal – regardless of Adderley claiming he was given it in 2013

Adderley wore the medal to a number of occasions through the years since his brother’s emigration

Adderley pictured on the funeral for PC Nicola Hughes, who was killed on obligation, in October 2012

British troopers in the course of the Falklands Conflict in June 1982, at which era Nick Adderley would have been 15

The IOPC mentioned it’ll wait till the top of its legal investigation into Mr Adderley earlier than deciding whether or not to refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service to think about whether or not crimes had been dedicated. 

Mr Adderley beforehand mentioned he was ‘very happy with his Cadet, Royal Navy and Police Service’, including he additionally wears medals awarded to his brothers with no additional clarification.

He mentioned: ‘I put on all my medals with satisfaction and have all the time worn the 2 medals my brothers gave me to put on when one grew to become critically in poor health and one emigrated, alongside my very own.

‘Having been made conscious of this criticism, which has a personal household impression upon me personally, I instantly took recommendation final week relating to the protocol and have modified the aspect of my chest on which these medals are worn.

‘I stay up for offering the IOPC with a fulsome response on the earliest alternative and I totally recognize that they’ve a job to do.’

In an announcement saying the listening to can be held in non-public, Mr Mold mentioned: ‘On February 28, 2024, there will probably be an accelerated misconduct listening to to think about allegations of gross misconduct in opposition to Chief Constable Nick Adderley.

‘Following representations made below Regulation 53 (3)(a) and 53 (3)(c) the chair has dominated that the listening to will probably be in non-public, and topic to reporting restrictions, till additional discover.’

Mr Adderley’s model of occasions have got here below scrutiny up to now.

He claimed that he had served within the Royal Navy for a decade earlier than becoming a member of the police pressure in 1992.

But courtroom paperwork reported in The Sun present he held a licence to promote alcohol on the Hooton Arms pub in Wirral, Merseyside, from 1989 to 1990. 

The police chief served within the Navy for 2 years, labored as a lorry driver and offered homes for six years as a civilian, based on contemporaries.

Mr Adderley took over as head of the Northamptonshire pressure in 2018 after becoming a member of the police service in 1992 and serving in Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Staffordshire.

Mr Adderley was suspended following the allegations made in opposition to him and the pressure has an appearing chief constable, Ivan Balhatchet.

In 2021 Chief Constable Adderley was referred to the police watchdog following the tragic loss of life of Harry Dunn after the 19-year-old was struck and killed by US citizen Anne Sacoolas, who then fled the nation.

Internal emails confirmed he described the spokesman for the household as an ‘difficulty’.