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Northants Police Chief Constable dismissed for gross misconduct
21/06/2024
He had been suspended on his full salary of £176,550 per year since last October
by Nadia Lincoln, Local Democracy Reporter
Former Chief Constable Nick Adderley has been found to have committed gross misconduct and breached the standards of professional behaviour surrounding his dishonesty relating to his service record.
He has now been dismissed from the service and won’t be allowed to apply for policing jobs across the UK.
Legally qualified chair Callum Cowx said: “On the balance of probabilities we find all of the allegations are proved.
“The appropriate authority’s case in essence is very simple. Over a long period of time Chief Constable Adderley has been lying about his previous service in the Royal Navy from the moment he chose to wear the South Atlantic medal.
“Whichever way this panel looked at the evidence we arrived at the same conclusion.”
Mr Cowx said his behaviour amounted to breaches of the standards of professional behaviour including honesty, integrity and discreditable conduct. He said the evidence against Mr Adderley was “overwhelming”.
He commented that Adderley’s journey from leaving the navy at 20 to becoming a chief constable was an “amazing story” worthy of telling but that “something in Nick Adderley told him that was not enough”. He added that he was “compelled to create a fantasy which he felt was better suited to a police officer as he climbed the ranks”.
He said he first “dipped his toe in the water” when he wore the South Atlantic Medal, but that the General Service Medal, better known as the Northern Ireland medal, also played into his image of “stolen valour”.
“By wearing medals he stole their richly deserved valour and recognition. He knew he was not entitled to wear the medals.
“He gave the false impression he had served in the Falklands War and Northern Irelands and that was his purpose,” he concluded.
Mr Cowx said that Nick Adderley “embraced” the media and “cultivated an image of himself as a no-nonsense man of action”. The panel were “satisfied” that the top cop was the “originator of the inaccuracies” in articles about himself and found his “audacity to be quite staggering”.
He said the chief constable “could not resist the temptation” to “turn the spotlight on himself”.
“Lying became engrained and he continued to do so with arrogant temerity,” he added.
“Alarm bells should have rang but they did not because the checks were clearly not done. Here we have someone who slipped under the radar to take up a senior position in the police service, having very obviously lied to get the job.”
In mitigations, the defence counsel Matthew Holdcroft spoke on behalf of Nick Adderley, who wasn’t present at the hearing, despite being given a “clear direction” to attend.
In a statement read out by Mr Holdcroft, Adderley said: “Today’s decision, by the disciplinary panel, brings to an end my career of over 32 years as a police officer.
“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 brave men and women of those forces.
“The pride I have in those I have led has no bounds, and I will be forever grateful to them for the difference they have made to the lives of so many, and for the difference they have made to my life too.
“As a senior leader and role model, one of my main ambitions was to lead by example and to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. Today’s determination has shown that I have failed you in that regard, something that I deeply regret.
“One of the most painful aspects of this case is the hurt that I have caused to veterans of the armed forces. I am proud of the work and progress made but feel bitterly disappointed in myself that I did not take more care or was more considerate when displaying my own medals alongside those handed to me.
“To those veterans I have offended, I apologise unreservedly.”
The panel ruled that the “only rational outcome” was for Mr Adderley to be dismissed without notice. He will also be placed on the police barred list.
Mr Cowx said Adderley showed “brazen dishonesty and a sustained lack of integrity over many years” which will “inevitably cause serious and lasting harm to the police service”.
Police Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone said: “I respect the panel’s decision and am grateful for their work on this challenging case, I wish it could have been dealt with more quickly for the sake of everyone involved, but the proper process had to be allowed to take its course.
“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.
“We will now work hard to rebuild that reputation for honesty and integrity and earn the confidence the public.”
Mr Adderley now has 10 days should he wish to appeal.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam