Moment police chief boasted of being ‘senior chief within the Royal Navy’
A ‘Walter Mitty’ police chief Nick Adderley was caught on video boasting of being a ‘senior leader in the Royal Navy’, despite only ever serving at the lowest rank — as he is sacked for gross misconduct.
The officer, who was a guest speaker at a British Security Industry Association (BSIA) gathering in Manchester, lied about being a ‘senior leader’ within the Royal Navy when in reality, he served for two years and two months at the rank of Able-Seaman.
It comes as Mr Adderley has today been sacked for exaggerating his rank and length of service and lying about his naval achievements following a misconduct hearing in Northampton.
The former chief constable of Northamptonshire Police ‘built military naval legend that wasn’t true’ a misconduct hearing was told.
The panel heard how Mr Adderley wore a Falklands War medal despite being just 15 when the conflict happened.
Now, footage obtained by MailOnline, clearly shows Mr Adderley exaggerating his rank within the Royal Navy.
In a somewhat ironic remark, Mr Adderley told the audience at Bridgewater Hall: ‘I’m going to be totally honest with you. I have been in the police service now for 23 years, just coming up to 23 years and prior to that I was a senior leader within the Royal Navy…’
He has been dismissed without notice and placed on the police barred list.
Nick Adderley speaking during a British Security Industry Association (BSIA) gathering in Manchester
Mr Adderley was caught on video boasting of being a ‘senior leader in the Royal Navy’ despite only ever serving at the lowest rank
Mr Adderley has today been found guilty of gross misconduct at a hearing in Northampton
John Beggs KC, counsel for the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone, told Mr Adderley’s misconduct hearing that the police officer ‘must have known that he was never a ‘senior leader’ within the Royal Navy’ and said the panel may conclude it was evidence Mr Adderley was ‘intent on conveying that deceitful legend’.
Mr Beggs told the hearing that Adderley served for two years and two months in the Royal Navy, remaining at the lowest rank of Able-Seaman.
Mr Adderley told investigators for the Independent Office of Police Conduct that he was a Senior Leader Cadet at the age of 15, when the Falkland’s War took place. He described this as ‘the beginning of my leadership journey’.
Although he maintained that he was a leader amongst his peers in the Royal Navy, he recognised it was not prudent to describe himself as a senior leader.
In his opening statement, Mr Beggs told the panel they ‘may consider that a more accurate word than ‘prudent’ is ‘true’.
The BSIA’s 2014 event took place in early March of that year. Given Mr Adderley joined Cheshire Constabulary as a trainee in February 1992, it meant he had not even reached 22 years as a fully-fledged police officer when he gave the speech, and was therefore not ‘just coming up to 23 years’.
Mr Adderley told the audience at the city’s Bridgewater Hall: ‘I’m going to be totally honest with you. I have been in the police service now for 23 years, just coming up to 23 years and prior to that I was a senior leader within the Royal Navy…’
Adderley previously claimed the South Atlantic Medal he has been pictured wearing since at least 2012 was given to him by his brother Richard when he emigrated to Australia in 2008
Nick Adderley (pictured, centre, leaving his misconduct hearing in Northampton last month)
Chair of the panel, Callum Cowx, who served in the Royal Navy, the Army and the police, found all allegations against Mr Adderley proven, saying they found ‘his audacity to be quite staggering’, adding that he had lied over many years with ‘arrogant temerity’.
Mr Adderley claimed he had served in the Royal Navy for 10 years when he had served for only two, and had apparently included his service with the Sea Cadets from the age of 10 in that calculation.
He claimed on his CV that he had attended the prestigious Britannia Royal Naval College for four years, despite his application being rejected.
He also lied that he had attended the prestigious Britannia Royal Naval College for four years, despite his application being rejected; he claimed to have seen active service during his naval career; had been a military negotiator in Haiti despite never visiting the country, and that he had been a ‘commander or a lieutenant’, even though he only achieved the rank of able seaman.
Mr Cowx said the panel would not give fully formed reasons for their decisions on and they would follow in a written report within five days.
But they agreed the allegations against Mr Adderley amounted to breaches of honesty and integrity and discreditable conduct.
Adderley had previously claimed the South Atlantic Medal he has been pictured wearing since at least 2012 was given to him by his brother Richard when he emigrated to Australia in 2008.
The SAM was awarded to British military personnel and civilians for service in the Falklands conflict.
