Khaberni - A British court fined a 65-year-old man after he admitted to wearing a Royal Navy admiral’s uniform without the military rank to authorize it, during his participation in a Remembrance Day event in North Wales.
The court ordered Jonathan Carly—a former history teacher—to pay a fine of 500 British pounds (about 677 US dollars) after admitting to wearing a uniform bearing the "His Majesty's Forces" insignia without permission.
The police had arrested Carly at his home in North Wales, after images of him wearing a uniform typically worn by senior officers of the British Royal Navy—with a number of medals among which was the Distinguished Service Medal—were circulated.
Exposing Him
According to British media reports, the Master Chief of the Navy, Terry Stewart—who had served 27 years in the Royal Navy—became suspicious of Carly and reported him in 2024, then he became suspicious again about the "fake admiral" during a Remembrance Day event.
Stewart said in statements to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC): "I asked the veterans nearby if this was the same admiral who attended last year, and they affirmed it was."
Stewart added, "I approached him, gave him the military salute, and introduced myself," and informed him that former Royal Navy veterans did not recognize him, and asked for his name. He said "I must go," claiming that he had received an invitation from the Lord Lieutenant's office.
The Defendant’s Confession
The "BBC" quoted Carly saying in his testimony to the police that the military uniform was "legally" given to him when he was in military college, but he added—in collaboration with a tailor—the admiral rank insignia and medals he had purchased from the internet.
The prosecutor, James Neary, said, "Carly wore—during the densely attended commemoration ceremony—medals, some of which indicated service in Iraq and Syria, and introduced himself to organizers as an officer."
Neary added that the organizers allowed the accused to place a wreath on the Remembrance Day monument and perform the military salute, and he stood among other prominent figures.
The defendant appeared alone in the dock, wearing a long formal coat, shirt, and tie, with his head bowed and his back turned to the journalists, speaking in court only to confirm his name, age, and address.
