‘Fake admiral’ is fined £500 after admitting carrying faux navy uniform and medals at Remembrance occasion – as a result of he ‘needed a way of belonging’

A former teacher was today fined £500 and told he had shown ‘total disrespect’ to those who had fought and died for their country by gatecrashing a Remembrance Sunday event in a fake admiral uniform.

Jonathan Carley, 65, sparked fury after laying a wreath at the ceremony in Llandudno, North Wales dressed in a Rear Admiral’s uniform with 12 medals pinned to his jacket.

He saluted and then marched off to take his place next to VIPs including the mayor during the event honouring Britain’s fallen heroes on November 9.

Among his array of medals were the prestigious Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and the Queen’s Volunteer Reserves Medal, which is only given to military reservists. 

But the combination led online sleuths to question his legitimacy – because no single serviceperson is believed to have been bestowed with both.

Carley was later arrested at his home 40 miles away in Harlech, Gwynedd, telling police: ‘I’ve been expecting you.’

It emerged that he had altered a naval uniform issued to him while leading a group of cadets, hiring a tailor to sew admiral’s rings onto the sleeves, and buying the medals online. 

In reality he had never been in the Royal Navy or served at sea, a court heard today, and had donned the fake uniform because he ‘sought a sense of belonging or affirmation’.

Carley was subsequently charged with wearing uniform or dress bearing the mark of His Majesty’s forces without permission.

The offence – which dates back to 1894 – carries a maximum sentence of a £1,000.

Today Carley – dressed smartly in civilian clothes – appeared in the dock at Llandudno Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty.

Fining him £500, District Judge Gwyn Jones told Carley that it was a ‘sad reflection’ on him that he had chosen to target such a solemn day of remembrance.

‘It should have been an opportunity to remember those whose lives were lost,’ he told him.

‘You were there not as a genuine person but as someone who came to deceive.’

His actions displayed ‘total disrespect’ for the memory of those who had lost their lives in conflicts and caused ‘a great deal of pain’ to their families, he added. 

Earlier prosecutor James Neary said Carley – who had never previously been in court – had posed as an admiral because he ‘sought a sense of belonging or affirmation’. 

It was accepted that Carley had not sought to disrupt the day’s solemn proceedings, he added – but that when he was unmasked as an imposter it had provoked outrage.

The Daily Mail previously revealed that Carley has donned the same fake admiral costume in two other Remembrance Sunday services in Caernarfon – once in 2018 and again in 2019.

Asked by the parade marshal at this year’s commemorations in Llandudno who he was, Carley claimed to be representing the Lord Lieutenant of Clwyd.

But both the Lord Lieutenant and the council claim said they did not know who he was, with the local authority stating he was not on their guest list.

The Walter Mitty Hunters Club, a group dedicated to unearthing cases of ‘stolen valour’, say records indicate no-one has earned both the DSO and QVRM.

In November Chief Inspector Trystan Bevan of North Wales Police said: ‘We understand that this incident has caused significant public concern, particularly given its occurrence on Remembrance Sunday.

‘In response to the reports made to North Wales Police, officers have responded swiftly to make an arrest and proceed with charges.

‘We urge members of the public to avoid online speculation and to refrain from sharing any content that could compromise future court proceedings.’

Carley is only mentioned once in the London Gazette, the official record for military listing.

However, he is listed as a 2nd Lieutenant on probation with the combined cadet force Cheltenham College, where he was a history teacher.

He has also previously said he studied at Christ Church, Oxford, as well as a business degree at Harvard.

In a newspaper article he said he had been a boat captain at Oxford and had rowed at the top US university.

‘As a schoolmaster, he coached at Eton and Cheltenham before moving to Shiplake,’ the article read.

Carley is understood to have been a history and politics teacher at Cheltenham college in 1988.

After the parade, a Llandudno council spokesman said: ‘The Town Council was not aware of, or notified of, the gentleman’s attendance in advance. He appeared on the day.

‘He was approached by the Parade Marshall and identified himself as a Rear Admiral and that he was representing the Lord Lieutenant’s Office.

‘The Council would like to add that it would not wish this to overshadow what was an excellent parade and remembrance service, and that with the exception of the identity of the gentleman he laid his wreath respectfully before leaving.

‘The Council understands that military organisations are looking into this, and we are awaiting any response.’

A Lord Lieutenant of Clwyd spokesman said: ‘The Lord Lieutenant had no knowledge of asking anyone to go to the event on his behalf.

‘The council sent over a photograph of the man but nobody here recognised him. The matter is under investigation at the moment.’

A Royal Navy spokesman said: ‘Impersonating a Naval officer is insulting to anyone connected to the service and could be considered a criminal offence.

‘Nothing should detract from the poignancy of Remembrance Sunday which can be a sombre time for members of the Royal Navy family and an opportunity for people in communities across the United Kingdom to pay their respects to people who have served or are serving their country.’