A police chief has been sacked after being found guilty of gross misconduct over lying about his military record.
Nick Adderley, the chief constable of Northamptonshire Police, had been suspended on full pay since October for exaggerating his own rank and length of service and lying about his naval achievements.
The allegations included implying that he served in the Falklands War by wearing a medal - despite being 15 when the conflict broke out in 1982.
A panel, chaired by Callum Cowx, who served in the Royal Navy, the Army and the police, has now upheld all the allegations against him after a five-day hearing.
They found "his audacity to be quite staggering", adding that he had lied over many years with "arrogant temerity".
Mr Adderley was dismissed without notice and placed on the police barred list by the panel, which said his "sustained brazen dishonesty and sustained lack of integrity will cause lasting harm to the police service".
The hearing was previously told Mr Adderley had lied on his CV and application form when applying for the job with the force by claiming he 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 his calculation.
He also said he had attended the prestigious Britannia Royal Naval College for four years, despite his application being rejected, and that he had been a military negotiator in Haiti, when he had never been to the country.
Mr Adderley claimed he had been a "commander or a lieutenant", even though he only achieved the rank of able seaman, and was further accused of failing to correct inaccurate newspaper articles about his naval career.
Falklands medal '110%' fake
Mr Adderley previously said the South Atlantic Medal (SAM) he had 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.
But the hearing was told the medal was deemed "110%" fake by a Ministry of Defence expert and the panel heard on Thursday Mr Adderley told a "pack of lies" about his brother's Falklands service.
John Beggs KC, representing the Office of the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (OPFCC), said Richard Adderley did not embark for the Falklands until 2 July 1982, about three weeks after hostilities ceased.
The barrister said Mr Adderley's lies were an attempt to build "a military, naval legend that wasn't true" and that media reports of "stolen valour" were not exaggerated.
Mr Cowx said the panel would not give fully formed reasons for their decisions today and would prepare a written report, but agreed the allegations against Mr Adderley amounted to breaches of honesty and integrity and discreditable conduct.
Tom Herring, chair of the South Atlantic Medal Association, said Mr Adderley's actions were an insult to all veterans, telling Sky News: "It makes me feel bad and it's despicable of someone to do that."
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Tap here'Heartfelt apology'
Mr Adderley did not attend the final day of the misconduct hearing, but in a statement said the decision had brought to an end his 32-year career as a police officer, during which he had worked across Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire and Northamptonshire.
He offered a "heartfelt apology" to his former colleagues who he said he had "failed" in his ambition to lead by example and "to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity".
"One of the most painful aspects of this case is the hurt that I have caused to veterans of the armed forces. This has been compounded, as I come from a very proud family of veterans," he said.
"To those veterans I have offended, I apologise unreservedly."
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Mr Adderley has 10 days to appeal against the decision.
In a statement, the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone said: "This case has put Northamptonshire Police in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
"We now need to set out to restore a reputation for honesty and integrity, which are fundamental values."
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2024-06-21 09:56:15Z
CBMihwFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9uaWNrLWFkZGVybGV5LXN1c3BlbmRlZC1jaGllZi1jb25zdGFibGUtb2Ytbm9ydGhhbXB0b25zaGlyZS1wb2xpY2UtZm91bmQtZ3VpbHR5LW9mLWdyb3NzLW1pc2NvbmR1Y3QtMTMxNTY0MjLSAYsBaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNreS5jb20vc3RvcnkvYW1wL25pY2stYWRkZXJsZXktc3VzcGVuZGVkLWNoaWVmLWNvbnN0YWJsZS1vZi1ub3J0aGFtcHRvbnNoaXJlLXBvbGljZS1mb3VuZC1ndWlsdHktb2YtZ3Jvc3MtbWlzY29uZHVjdC0xMzE1NjQyMg
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