To feel sorry for the fake admiral

[MajesticWhine]

It seems to be a victimless crime and I don’t think he was doing anyone any harm. Given the amount of crimes such as shoplifting that go unpunished AIBU to think this man should be let off with a caution?

‘Fake admiral’ charged after Remembrance memorial
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/4d56e1d99d56fda6

My dad was nearly killed earning some of the medals he was wearing. He and others of his ilk can fuck off. He deserves to be named and shamed.

The men who earned them have often paid a high price, ptsd, homelessness, missing limbs, broken families are the tip of the iceberg.

Victimless crime my arse.

DH (in the Army) took one look at the photo and said the medals are wrong. (As in how he is wearing them, not looking at the medals themselves).

And those medalswill have belonged to various real people, who have done real things. They will have be sold for various reasons, such as needing money to live. So hopefully they can now go somewhere like a museum accredited to the actual people.

Women are not that gullible surely?

No sympathy and (being ex RN although not an admiral!) I agree the medals are not right. I doubt he’ll get a custodial sentence but he needs prosecuting.

There are women out there who think they are in online relationships with Hollywood A listers. They definitely are. Impersonating someone who has served in the forces or a pilot are two of the most common fake lifestyles for conmen.

Exactly

It sounds just a bit sad and pathetic until you realise some people do this for financial gain (former Chief Constable of Northamptonshire as an example).

They work on the assumption that their back story wont get checked. Then they get arrogant and over egg the pudding.

Theres a name for men who do it... Walts. (From Walter Mitty).

@Lurkingandlearning

You make him sound like Mr Benn.

YANBU it’s quite clear that he’s mentally unwell.

My friends sister had postpartum psychosis after her second baby and one of her symptoms was a genuine belief that she was in relationships with celebrities. It’s really sad because she didn’t fully recover and still has symptoms of delusion and her kids live with their dad full time. Normal people don’t do this sort of thing so it usually points to some mental disorder.

He’s a fraud. If you read the article he also claims to be Harvard alumni. A fantasist and a fake and he deserves exposure. What a dick.

There is a website dedicated to exposing theses fraudsters. Walter Mitty Hunters, or something like that which is run be ex service personnel. There are loads of Walts.

A need to feel important and respected. Meaning he doesn’t in his own life.

That’s my armchair guess!

Like Mr Benn 😂

It’s weird crime.

usually someone commits a crime because they get something out of breaking the law - some gain.

So i wonder what he was personally gaining?

I think it depends on the circumstances. If he was doing it just on Remembrance Day as some odd upside down way of paying respect, then maybe it’s not so bad. If he was doing it more regularly and making money or living under a fake identity, then it’s clearly fraud. If it’s the former, he’ll likely just get a fine - though the public humiliation will be tough to bear.

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

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.

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

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

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

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…

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.