A senior police officer who lied when applying for the post of chief of police and exaggerated his naval rank, length of service and achievements has been found guilty of gross misconduct and dismissed without notice.
Nick Adderley, suspended chief constable of Northamptonshire Police, had “created a military naval legend which was not true”, a misconduct hearing was told. Among other things, he had suggested that he had served in the Falklands War, although he was only 15 years old when the conflict broke out in 1982.
The panel, chaired by Callum Cowx – who served in the Royal Navy, Army and police – found all the allegations against Mr Adderley to be proven. It said his audacity was “quite astonishing”, adding that he had lied with “arrogant audacity” over many years.
Mr Adderley was summarily dismissed and placed on the Commission’s list of people barred from the police force. The panel said his “sustained blatant dishonesty and persistent lack of integrity will cause lasting damage to the police service”.
He has 10 days to appeal the decision.
At the misconduct hearing in Northampton, it was revealed that Mr Adderley was wearing a South Atlantic Medal (SAM), awarded to British servicemen and civilians for their service in the Falklands conflict. A Ministry of Defence medal expert had described the SAM as “110 per cent” fake.
When Mr Adderley applied for the post of Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police in 2018, he stated on his CV and application form that he had been in the Royal Navy for ten years, when in fact he had only served for two years. He appears to have included in this calculation his service in the Sea Cadets from the age of ten.
He also lied about attending the prestigious Britannia Royal Naval College for four years, despite his application being rejected. He said he had been on active duty during his naval career, he had served as a military negotiator in Haiti, despite never having visited the country, and he had been a “commander or lieutenant” despite only reaching the rank of able seaman.
Mr Adderley had claimed that the SAM, which he has carried on his body several times since 2012, was given to him by his brother Richard when he emigrated to Australia. However, on Thursday the commission was told that Richard Adderley did not leave until July 2, 1982, after hostilities had ended some three weeks earlier, on June 14.
The Chief Constable’s brother was not entitled to wear the SAM with rosette and did not apply for the SAM until 12 October 2023 due to a change in applicant criteria that came into effect in 2015 – 10 days after Nick Adderley received a notice of investigation from the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Cowx said the panel would not fully explain its decision on Friday and would provide a written report within five days. But he agreed that the allegations against Adderley amounted to breaches of honesty and integrity and dishonorable conduct.
He said: “Mr Adderley has a truly fascinating success story to tell. He joined the Royal Navy as a seaman, a career was not for him.
“He found his calling in police work and rose from seaman to chief constable. It’s an amazing achievement and one worth telling. But something inside Nick Adderley told him that wasn’t enough.”
John Beggs KC, representing the Office of the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, had previously told the misconduct hearing that media claims of “stolen bravery” were not exaggerated.
Mr Cowx said: ‘Mr Beggs described his actions as stolen heroism and that is exactly what it is – by wearing medals he was not entitled to wear, he stole their well-deserved heroism and recognition and his explanation was ridiculous.
“He knew he was not entitled to wear the medals. What is also disturbing is that he involved his brothers in giving him medals to wear that he did not deserve.
“Richard Adderley is or was a policeman, but he too blatantly lied to divert attention from his brother.”
When Adderley applied for the top job in Northamptonshire, “alarm bells should have been ringing,” Cowx said. He asked why none of the applicant screeners had noticed the inaccuracies in his CV and application form. The damage that would be caused by this case would be “significant.”
He said: “There are ongoing and serious public concerns about the vetting of police officers and yet here someone has managed to go unnoticed.”
Despite being asked to do so by Mr Cowx, Mr Adderley did not attend the final day of the hearing. However, his barrister Matthew Holdcroft read a statement on his behalf saying he “deeply regretted” that the wearing of medals could have caused offence to veterans.
In a statement read out at the hearing, Mr Adderley paid tribute to the officers he had worked with during his 32-year career, saying: “I have had the privilege of serving communities across Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire and Northamptonshire and it has been the greatest honour of my life to lead the brave men and women of this force.”
“For over three decades, I have witnessed their dedication and unwavering courage. I am immensely proud of the people I have led and I will be forever grateful for the difference they have made in the lives of so many.
“Thank you for your support, kindness, and the inspiration you have given me to move on and be a better leader and colleague. I want to sincerely apologize.
“Today’s decision has shown that I have disappointed you, which I deeply regret. I regret that I will no longer be part of your future.
“Please don’t be under any illusions, I will be there cheering you on from the sidelines.”
In a statement, Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone said: “This case has put Northamptonshire Police in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.”
“We must now set about restoring the reputation of honesty and integrity, because these are fundamental values.
“The demands placed on police officers are very high and the demands placed on police leaders are even higher – it is their duty to set the tone for the rest of the organisation.
“Failure to comply with these standards is incredibly serious and undermines the public’s trust in our police officers who do an outstanding job every day to keep the public safe.”
“We will now work hard to restore that reputation of honesty and integrity and gain the public’s trust.
“Acting Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet and his team have done a fantastic job leading the force through a period of uncertainty. I will work with them to engage communities and build public confidence in their police force.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) referred a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service in April so that they could consider possible criminal charges, but it has not yet been confirmed whether such charges will follow.
IOPC Regional Director Emily Barry said: “Public confidence in policing depends on chief constables demonstrating the highest standards of conduct and setting a good example for their colleagues.”
“The panel’s findings show that Mr Adderley’s conduct fell far below the professional standards of any police officer, let alone a chief constable.”
