A former teacher has been convicted and fined for impersonating a senior Royal Navy officer during a solemn Remembrance Sunday ceremony in North Wales.
The Deception Unmasked
Jonathan Carley, aged 65, sparked outrage after he laid a wreath at the event in Llandudno while dressed in the full uniform of a Rear Admiral, complete with an impressive array of twelve medals. However, investigations revealed that Carley had never served in the Royal Navy or at sea. His legitimacy was questioned online, leading to his arrest. When police arrived at his home in Harlech, Gwynedd, he reportedly told them: 'I've been expecting you.'
Neighbours living near his £70,000 detached home have since claimed that Carley boasted about working for Navy intelligence, specifically monitoring Russia, and also stated he had worked with NATO. One neighbour commented: 'He told a few of us that he was in the navy. We'd also seen him in his uniform once or twice, so it all seemed to fit... He is very polite and well-spoken and had a military bearing, so it was believable. However, it was all a pack of lies.'
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
This week, Carley was fined £500 by Llandudno magistrates after admitting to wearing a fake naval uniform. He was also ordered to pay £85 in prosecution costs and a £200 surcharge. District Judge Gwyn Jones told Carley his actions were a 'sad reflection' on him and that he had chosen to target a deeply solemn day of remembrance.
The judge stated: 'You were there not as a genuine person but as someone who came to deceive and create a falsehood. Your actions totally disrespect the memories of all those persons who have fallen and causes a great deal of pain to families.' Prosecutor James Neary said Carley, who had no previous convictions, had posed as an admiral because he 'sought a sense of belonging or affirmation'.
The Extent of the Fabrication
The court heard that Carley, a former history and politics teacher at Cheltenham College, had altered a naval uniform issued to him while leading a cadet group. He hired a tailor to sew admiral's rings onto the sleeves and purchased medals online. His collection included prestigious awards he was not entitled to wear, such as the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and the Queen's Volunteer Reserves Medal (QVRM).
Experts from the Walter Mitty Hunters Club, a group that uncovers cases of stolen valour, noted that records indicate no individual has ever earned both the DSO and the QVRM. Carley's name appears only once in the official London Gazette, listed as a 2nd Lieutenant on probation with a school's combined cadet force.
Further investigation by the Daily Mail revealed that Carley had worn the same fake admiral's uniform at least twice before, at Remembrance services in Caernarfon in 2018 and 2019. At the Llandudno event, he identified himself to parade marshals as a rear admiral representing the Lord Lieutenant of Clwyd, an claim that was later firmly denied by the Lord Lieutenant's office.
After the parade, photographs of Carley circulated online and quickly went viral, with researchers branding him an imposter. All the uniform items and medals were later found in his car and subsequently destroyed. Leaving court, Carley's solicitor stated his client was 'utterly remorseful' and reiterated his apologies to all those affected.
A Royal Navy spokesman condemned the actions, saying: 'Impersonating a Naval officer is insulting to anyone connected to the service and could be considered a criminal offence. Nothing should detract from the poignancy of Remembrance Sunday.'
