A Walter Mitty “Knight” has been ditched by a charity after failing to answer questions over his dodgy past.
Artist ‘Sir’ John Damari was accused of “weaving tales” after claims that he received a knighthood from Prince Charles and was a Falklands war hero.
Damari - who raises funds through his paintings - is mentioned in biographies on charity and community group websites, which erroneously describe how he received a gong. It is not known who provided the biographies.
The Record on Saturday also revealed that Damari also wrongly claimed to be a Royal Marine during the Falklands conflict in 1982 and told how he was mentioned in dispatches for his bravery. There is no record of this.
After our revelations, the Kilmacolm and Port Glasgow Agricultural Society Ltd which previously commended his charity work and said it “has recently seen him rewarded with a knighthood bestowed on him by Prince Charles” has vowed to give Damari the elbow.
Aileen Russell, president of the show, said in an email: “Despite making several requests for information about John Damari’s use of a title, we received no replies. We did some research and subsequently decided to remove his details from our website and change the format of our prize draw in 2020.”
Damari has been pictured at a veterans’ event wearing a medal given to those who have served in the conflict - but again there is no record of this.
Former Royal Signals regimental sergeant major John Davis, who investigates military fantasists, also raised concerns over Damari’s claims. He said: “This is what happens when people make spurious false claims.
“These Walter Mitty fantasists think they can get away with weaving a web of deceit but they always get found out in the end. Damari is not a peer of the realm nor is he a Falklands hero.
“If he had made these claims in the USA, he would be potentially facing criminal charges. It is time we got tough with these Walts in this country.”
Damari has been pictured at a veterans’ event wearing a medal given to those who have served in the conflict - but again there is no record of this.
The Accord Hospice in Renfrewshire referred to “Sir” John’s award being “bestowed on him by His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, at Chillingham Castle”.On Facebook, the Rotary Club of Troon wrote that Damari was “also a personal artist to HRH Prince Charles”.
It added: “He was recently knighted for his artistic contributions to charity.”
Damari did receive an unofficial honour from aristocrat Sir Humphry Wakefield, who owns Chillingham Castle, for painting work.But the Government’s Honours Committee, which reviews nominations for merit, exceptional achievement or service, said there was no sign of Damari on the list of award recipients.
A spokeswoman said: “I’d be inclined to say he doesn’t have one as we can’t find him.”
When asked by the Record to explain the claims, Damari, from Kilbarchan in Renfrewshire, said: “I have done nothing wrong. I don’t know anything about this. I have been made a Knight Protector of Chillingham Castle.
“It’s not a knighthood, its an honorary title for my artwork. Whatever these people are saying, it’s second-hand information. It is their opinion. I don’t know how these allegations have come about.
“I have had people say in the past, that my work is rubbish and could have been done by a two-year-old. I have no idea why they would target me. I could understand perhaps why people could find it offensive.
“Look, I don’t know these people and I don’t what they are doing it for. I have given you a straight and honest answer and that’s that.”
He was branded a “silly man” by the aristocrat who gave him his unofficial award. Sir Humphry, whose castle is near Alnwick in Northumberland, urged Damari to stop calling himself “sir”.
He said: “He really is a silly man. We did have a sort of ceremony at a local level but it wasn’t a knighthood and has no national status.When I heard about these claims he was making, I suggested he was unwise to use it as a title.”
In an email seen by the Record, Sir Humphry, who served as a captain in the 10th Royal Hussars, said of Damari: “He tells me he was mentioned in dispatches in the Falklands. Poor guy. He is so very gifted in other ways than weaving tales.”
