To feel sorry for the fake admiral

I don’t feel sorry for him but I don’t think it’s much worse than the Royal Family members who seem to get away with raiding the dressing up box every Remembrance Sunday. And yes I know they’ve had “permission” but in most cases they haven’t actually done anything to earn the uniform or medals.

Oohhh that’s interesting and makes perfect sense - thanks

What are you talking about? The King was in the Navy and the RAF. Prince William was in the Army and RAF. Prince Harry did two tours of Afghanistan during his time in the Army.

I think it’s also a security and a safeguarding risk, if anyone can insert themselves into a parade like that.

No but it’s extremely odd behaviour for someone who is retired from a respected profession (I’d have more respect for his former teaching career than any army thing tbh). Nobody was hurt in the way other crimes do. He hasn’t made any gain from it either. The RF wear umpteen medals and none of them have seen active service. Not all criminals are mentally unwell but I suspect this man is.

The former chief constable of Northamptonshire did it to bolster his otherwise lacklustre CV.

We can’t let everyone off if they’re a bit weird/sad. He knew what he was doing

If it turns out he is mentally unwell then I’ll feel sorry for him.
I suspect though that he is just an attention seeker. There is a Facebook group that hunts down fake veterans like this - people at remembrance events wearing medals and uniforms they haven’t earned. Never seen one quite as audacious as this man.
I agree with PP- people go through hell to get some of these medals. It is insulting to them that people pretend to have earns them.

Well that's an easy one to answer. Status and respect. Status he hasn't earned and respect he doesn't deserve.

These 'valour thieves' or whatever people call them are nearly always men. Infact I don't know of any women, but I'm sure someone will come along with an example. Years ago, I listened to a radio 4 interview with a doctor who had served in the army. He had written a book called something like "why men fight". He said a sentence that stuck with me and really opened my eyes about men and their behaviour. He said "testosterone is the status seeking hormone". I read most male behaviour with this in mind.

With regard to this sort of valour theft, a relative worked for the MOD in the medals office back in the day, and she told me it wasn't uncommon to receive a request for a medal from a family, saying my late dad/grandad took part in/fought at such and such campaign etc but never claimed his medal/s. She said it was always sad when she had to inform them that, erm actually no he didn't, he lied about that. These days it's easy to purchase the medals you want online, and pass them off as your own.

It happens a lot, however this chap is an extreme example and deserves to be punished for it.

Is it an insult when King Charles and the rest of them wear rows of medals and uniform despite never having served a day in their lives?

Someone I grew up with did something similar. He's been arrested multiple times for impersonation a paramedic and a police officer.

No I don't. It takes alot of steps to achieve that level of deception, sourcing the uniform, the medals, researching, getting into the event. What kind of person can do that with a straight face?

The armed services are a place people sacrifice time with their family, their personal life and for some their actual lives, so it is a crime to pretend to have achieved all those medals and have the gall to lay a wreath at a service of remembrance for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Stolen valour is a crime and just because there are worse crimes, doesn't stop this being a crime in and of itself. There are plenty of people to care about plenty of crimes, there's not a finite amount of justice don't worry.

Are all fraudsters mentally unwell? Or plain criminals?

As a veteran, I find it insulting.

I went through a phase of getting frequent FB friend requests from apparently American soldiers, posing in uniform/medals in front of stars and stripes. Humerous to me, but they must get victims or they wouldn't do it.

Yabu. Do you realise medals are earned… that the military people go through hell and back at times, the commitment the make to the country at the expense of personal sacrifice?

Oh absolutely! I can’t begin to imagine what it would be like to be that arrogant and sure of myself.

He sounds like he’s lost the plot and I doubt this is the calculated action of a sane man.

So we should let off murderers with depression? Burglars who are a bit sad?

No. He's been charged with a criminal offence because sufficient evidence has been found to show he's committed a criminal offence.

Whethet he's guilty of that will be decided by the court.

Also name-changed - and also used to know him.

I only came across the story this morning but when I saw his name I had a “clicks into place” moment! He was an odd-ball even all those years ago…

Gullible probably isn’t the right word. Vulnerable perhaps. Like the girls that groomers target, never from happy homes are they.

He pretended to be someone who wasn’t at an official event, that is wrong. Ironically if he’d simply worn a lieutenants uniform he wouldn’t have been caught out, it was the (very senior) rear admiral and weird combination of medals. Medals you haven’t personally earned are worn on the right too, eg you’ll see people wearing their parents medals

I would imagine that part of his personality disorder or whatever drives this also makes him believe he is cleverer than everyone else.

It sounds obsessional considering he was a history teacher. I wonder why he chose teaching instead. Possible mental health issues. I am sure there are worse crimes out there.

I’ve name changed for this.

I feel no sympathy. My relative was awarded the Victoria Cross. To have this man parade around in medals as if he earned them is massively disrespectful.

@PruthePrune apologies, I hadn’t seen your post.