A police chief constable who wore a Falklands war medal despite being 15 at the time of the conflict has been dismissed without notice and placed on the police barred list after being found guilty of gross misconduct.
Nick Adderley, the chief constable at Northamptonshire police, exaggerated his military rank, length of service and naval achievements, including implying that he served in the Falklands war, the hearing heard.
A panel on Friday found Adderley, who had already been suspended, guilty of gross misconduct. He has 10 days to appeal against the decision.
The panel, chaired by Callum Cowx, who served in the navy, the army and the police, found all allegations against Adderley proven, saying they found “his audacity to be quite staggering”, adding that he had lied over many years with “arrogant temerity”.
“By wearing medals he was not entitled to wear, he stole their richly deserved valour and recognition, and his explanation was risible,” Cowx said.
John Beggs KC, representing the office of the Northamptonshire police, fire and crime commissioner, said Adderley had carried out “a long-term, sustained, mendacious deceit”, and had lied on his CV and application form.
He claimed he had served in the Royal Navy for 10 years, when he had served for only two; had attended the prestigious Britannia Royal Naval College, despite his application being rejected; and had been a military negotiator in Haiti, when he had never been to the country.
Adderley had previously claimed that 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 medal was awarded to British military personnel and civilians for service in the Falklands conflict, but Richard Adderley did not embark for the Falklands until 2 July 1982, three weeks after hostilities ended on 14 June, the hearing heard.
He applied for the medal – under a change in criteria for applicants put in place in 2015 – on 12 October 2023, 10 days after Nick Adderley received a notice of investigation from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Adderley did not attend the hearing on Friday, despite being directed to by Cowx. In a statement read out on his behalf, he offered a “heartfelt apology” to the officers he had worked with during his 32-year career.
“Today’s determination showed I have failed you, something I deeply regret. I regret I will no longer be part of your future,” he said.
Cowx said the panel would not give full reasons for its decisions on Friday, but this would follow in a written report within five days. He agreed that the allegations against Adderley amounted to breaches of honesty and integrity and discreditable conduct.
He also raised concerns that none of the incorrect dates were noticed during the vetting procedure, saying “alarm bells should have rung” for those scrutinising Adderley’s application.
Danielle Stone, the police, fire and crime commissioner for Northamptonshire since May, said she did not know how Adderley’s falsehoods had gone undetected, and she would be speaking to the next home secretary about improving vetting procedures.
“This case has put Northamptonshire police in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons,” she said. “We now need to set out how to restore a reputation for honesty and integrity, which are fundamental values.”
In April, the IOPC referred an evidential file to the Crown Prosecution Service for it to consider any potential criminal charges. It has not been confirmed if any will follow.
The IOPC regional director, Emily Barry, 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.”
