Chief Constable Sacked for lying about his navy career

[Hipper]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ceqq74pg1evo

Of course this is pretty bad but did he start lying relatively recently or was it a lie when he started his police career, with all that implies?

Note he is also being investigated for fraud:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-n ... e-68513724

[Funkydrummer]

Good lookalike for Blackadder !!!

[fatboy47]

Tbf he'll only be earning £200k...so you can understand him wanting to pad his wage out a bit.

Maybe he went down the bookies and had a punt on this years crime figures too.

[Rileybobs]

Obviously a chief constable should be sacked for this, but I do think there is too much mouth frothing over people who lie about having been in the military.

[Clovius Boofus]

A Falklands War Walt.

[Buxtonclaret]

Tbf he'll only be earning £200k...so you can understand him wanting to pad his wage out a bit.

Maybe he went down the bookies and had a punt on this years crime figures too.

Cynical, Fats.
Very cynical.

[tally]

Fully deserves everything he gets and is an insult to all our war veterans and the armed forces in general

[Rowls]

Obviously a chief constable should be sacked for this, but I do think there is too much mouth frothing over people who lie about having been in the military.

Zing! What a hot take, sir. Take a bow.

I'd go further and say that it actually ought to be illegal to try and verify people who make up claims about their service, qualifications or any awards or medals they might (or might not) have actually earned.

In fact, I'm willing to join you on this hottest of hot takes and put my name to it.

Sincerely,

Major General Rowls, VC, OBE, Legion d'Honneur, GC.

[Rileybobs]

Zing! What a hot take, sir. Take a bow.

I'd go further and say that it actually ought to be illegal to try and verify people who make up claims about their service, qualifications or any awards or medals they might (or might not) have actually earned.

In fact, I'm willing to join you on this hottest of hot takes and put my name to it.

Sincerely,

Major General Rowls, VC, OBE, Legion d'Honneur, GC.

So you think it should be illegal for someone to tell what is essentially a harmless lie? I think that’s a hotter take.

[Rowls]

So you think it should be illegal for someone to tell what is essentially a harmless lie? I think that’s a hotter take.

No, my hot take was that it should be illegal to try and verify these claims. People should be able to make whatever claims they like without fear of being found out or labelled a "fraud".

Zing!

That's my hot take. That'll show the mouth foamers! Zing!

Sincerely,

Lord Rowls of the Stoops Estate, CBE, Order of the Garter.

[Rileybobs]

No, my hot take was that it should be illegal to try and verify these claims. People should be able to make whatever claims they like without fear of being found out or labelled a "fraud".

Zing!

That's my hot take. That'll show the mouth foamers! Zing!

Sincerely,

Lord Rowls of the Stoops Estate, CBE, Order of the Garter.

Serves me right for not reading your post properly. Not sure what the zing is, is that the microwave going off?

[Clovius Boofus]

So you think it should be illegal for someone to tell what is essentially a harmless lie? I think that’s a hotter take.

How is it harmless if you're using Walterism to gain a top level job? Also, it's insulting to those who served and also insulating to the families of those who never came home.

[Rileybobs]

How is it harmless if you're using Walterism to gain a top level job? Also, it's insulting to those who served and also insulating to the families of those who never came home.

I didn’t say it was harmless to lie to get a job, if you read my first post you’ll see I said he deserved to lose his job.

As for being insulting, lots of things are, but they’re not blown out of proportion as much as people who pretend they used to be in the military, in my opinion of course.

[Clovius Boofus]

He lied about the length of his military service, his active service and the rank he attained. Morally wrong, at least I think so and hopefully many others do.

[taio]

It should certainly be illegal in that specific role

[bfcjg]

I think we should cut him some slack, going off recent miscarriages of justice it's surely a perquisite for some coppers to be serial liers , cover up specialists with a selective memory and an ability to embellish.
He should have gone right to the top.

[bobinho]

Obviously a chief constable should be sacked for this, but I do think there is too much mouth frothing over people who lie about having been in the military.

You will think that. For those of us who have served, seeing someone else taking the credit for what was done by others in the field is despicable.

We call it “stolen valour”, and it is lower than low.

[Rileybobs]

You will think that. For those of us who have served, seeing someone else taking the credit for what was done by others in the field is despicable.

We call it “stolen valour”, and it is lower than low.

See this is what I mean, lower than the low seems way OTT to me. Violent criminals are lower than the low, not someone telling a fib about having been in the military.

[Jamesy]

Obviously a chief constable should be sacked for this, but I do think there is too much mouth frothing over people who lie about having been in the military.

Too much mouth frothing about people who lie about being in the military?
Are you being serious now? Anyone who could lie about or embellish a military career is nothing other than dishonest and seriously lacking integrity.
How this shyster of a very senior police officer even got through police vetting at the point of joining is astonishing.
Then once found out he stayed on his handsome salary for a further nine months.
I just hope that he has lost all entitlement to his massive index linked pension for the rest of his life but I very much doubt it.
An absolute smack in the face to all service men and women who have served their country with pride. This tw@t is lucky he has only been dismissed. He should be serving a lengthy prison sentence in my view for fraud.

[box_of_frogs]

I just pity the Walt.

[Jamesy]

I just pity the Walt.

WTF are you on about?

[Volvoclaret]

Zing! What a hot take, sir. Take a bow.

I'd go further and say that it actually ought to be illegal to try and verify people who make up claims about their service, qualifications or any awards or medals they might (or might not) have actually earned.

In fact, I'm willing to join you on this hottest of hot takes and put my name to it.

Sincerely,

Major General Rowls, VC, OBE, Legion d'Honneur, GC.

You missed out your Iron Cross.

[basil6345789]

The BBC said he'd claimed to have been a Lootenent

[Volvoclaret]

That's because he wore a Purple Heart.

[TsarBomba]

Deserves to be sacked. Honesty and integrity is non-negotiable.

Shame, because at one stage he looked to be one of the better chief coppers.

[Rick_Muller]

WTF are you on about?

I think it’s a reference to Walter Mitty

[JarrowClaret]

See this is what I mean, lower than the low seems way OTT to me. Violent criminals are lower than the low, not someone telling a fib about having been in the military.

2 different scenarios can’t both be true? I assume you haven’t served so won’t feel it as bad, I have friends who died on operations and friends who are still troubled with PTSD now and at least 1 who has been fighting in Ukraine for over 2 years now, it is just sickening that people would lie about stuff like this just to make themselves look better.

I could be a Walt if I wanted I have served in Ireland, Bosnia and Iraq (twice), but outside of training for Ireland I have never been shot at or fired me weapon in anger, I have had a pipe bomb go off next to my snatch landrover though which was fun. Anyway I have a long dent in my head which would sound so much better if I lied and said it was caused by a bullet grazing me. The truth is I got drunk and fell off a 3 storey block in Germany the iron railing at the bottom broke my fall but I cracked my head on the concrete, my kids hate the fact I won’t lie about it ha ha. Anyway if I did it would be a complete insult to my friends and the guys before them that paid the ultimate sacrifice and also I quite like the fact I survived the fall makes me feel a bit like a super hero well a stupid 1.

[Rowls]

WTF are you on about?

As someone said above, we think it's a reference to "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"

It was a very famous short story about a downtrodden man who spends his life lost in daydreams about being somebody daring and dangerous. At one point he imagines himself as a war hero. The story was so successful that calling somebody a "Walter Mitty" kind of person entered the language. It means they're a liar or a fantasist.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Mitty

[Rileybobs]

2 different scenarios can’t both be true? I assume you haven’t served so won’t feel it as bad, I have friends who died on operations and friends who are still troubled with PTSD now and at least 1 who has been fighting in Ukraine for over 2 years now, it is just sickening that people would lie about stuff like this just to make themselves look better.

I could be a Walt if I wanted I have served in Ireland, Bosnia and Iraq (twice), but outside of training for Ireland I have never been shot at or fired me weapon in anger, I have had a pipe bomb go off next to my snatch landrover though which was fun. Anyway I have a long dent in my head which would sound so much better if I lied and said it was caused by a bullet grazing me. The truth is I got drunk and fell off a 3 storey block in Germany the iron railing at the bottom broke my fall but I cracked my head on the concrete, my kids hate the fact I won’t lie about it ha ha. Anyway if I did it would be a complete insult to my friends and the guys before them that paid the ultimate sacrifice and also I quite like the fact I survived the fall makes me feel a bit like a super hero well a stupid 1.

Wow, to be honest surviving a fall from the third floor of a building is impressive enough.

You’re right, I haven’t been in the armed forces so clearly wouldn’t feel as passionately about it as those who have do. But I’ve seen posts on Twitter etc where people suggest hunting down these pretenders and give them a good seeing to. That, for me, is a huge overreaction to someone telling a harmless lie.

[Rowls]

Wow, to be honest surviving a fall from the third floor of a building is impressive enough.

You’re right, I haven’t been in the armed forces so clearly wouldn’t feel as passionately about it as those who have do. But I’ve seen posts on Twitter etc where people suggest hunting down these pretenders and give them a good seeing to. That, for me, is a huge overreaction to someone telling a harmless lie.

I suppose if you've seen posts as hyperbolic as that your reaction is much more understandable.

But we're all responsible ultimately, for currating what pops up in our 'feeds'. Even more directly than that, we're responsible for how we react to what pops up in our feeds. We end up getting worked up about the antics of what are the most extreme reactions to events, often from no more than a handful of people on the edge of society. We've all done it (very much including myself here) and we all need to redouble our efforts not to let the algorithms poke us into these responses and not allow them to dictate our lives and our behaviour.

I'm sorry for being a bit OTT in my sarcasm and sardonic responses to you rileybobs. I overdid a bit but the truth is, one of the reasons I did is because I have you down as being somebody with enough character to take a ribbing so I hope you can take it as a backhanded compliment of sorts.

Anyway, goodnight & UTC!

[Rileybobs]

I suppose if you've seen posts as hyperbolic as that your reaction is much more understandable.

But we're all responsible ultimately, for currating what pops up in our 'feeds'. Even more directly than that, we're responsible for how we react to what pops up in our feeds. We end up getting worked up about the antics of what are the most extreme reactions to events, often from no more than a handful of people on the edge of society. We've all done it (very much including myself here) and we all need to redouble our efforts not to let the algorithms poke us into these responses and not allow them to dictate our lives and our behaviour.

I'm sorry for being a bit OTT in my sarcasm and sardonic responses to you rileybobs. I overdid a bit but the truth is, one of the reasons I did is because I have you down as being somebody with enough character to take a ribbing so I hope you can take it as a backhanded compliment of sorts.

Anyway, goodnight & UTC!

Not a problem!

[dsr]

Quite apart from the morality of it, a good reason to get rid of him is because he's a fool. Why was he still wearing his bogus medal?

[JarrowClaret]

Wow, to be honest surviving a fall from the third floor of a building is impressive enough.

You’re right, I haven’t been in the armed forces so clearly wouldn’t feel as passionately about it as those who have do. But I’ve seen posts on Twitter etc where people suggest hunting down these pretenders and give them a good seeing to. That, for me, is a huge overreaction to someone telling a harmless lie.

I agree that’s an overreaction although it is human nature to get aggressive when something angers you we see it often on here for example!

[Jamesy]

Wow, to be honest surviving a fall from the third floor of a building is impressive enough.

You’re right, I haven’t been in the armed forces so clearly wouldn’t feel as passionately about it as those who have do. But I’ve seen posts on Twitter etc where people suggest hunting down these pretenders and give them a good seeing to. That, for me, is a huge overreaction to someone telling a harmless lie.

I agree with some of what you have posted but please don’t just dismiss this man’s deceit as a harmless lie.

[Rileybobs]

I agree with some of what you have posted but please don’t just dismiss this man’s deceit as a harmless lie.

I haven’t Jamesy. I already said he should lose his job. I was speaking more generally about what I think can be an overreaction to people who pretend to have served in the military.

[bodge]

This bloke was the front man for GMP when the one eyed turd Cregan went on his ever so brave rampage, he came across well on the documentaries but unfortunately he appears to have low moral standards himself.

[taio]

I haven’t Jamesy. I already said he should lose his job. I was speaking more generally about what I think can be an overreaction to people who pretend to have served in the military.

It wasn't an harmless lie though

[Rileybobs]

It wasn't an harmless lie though

I know it wasn’t in this case, I acknowledged that in my first post.

[taio]

I know it wasn’t in this case, I acknowledged that in my first post.

Fair enough - when you said it was essentially a harmless lie I presumed it was relevant to the subject.

[Rileybobs]

Fair enough - when you said it was essentially a harmless lie I presumed it was relevant to the subject.

Well it was relevant to the subject of people who pretend to have been in the military.

[BurnleyFC]

Bent. Coppers.

But I’m with Riley on this and I served in the army for 5 years.

This muppet has rightfully been sacked but I know plenty of Walter Mittys and to be honest I just chuckle at them.

[mybloodisclaret]

WTF are you on about?

The term "Walt" "Walter" or "Walter Mitty" is used by servicemen and women to take the p!55 out of those who exaggerate their achievements, accomplishments in the armed forces and sadly in some cases those who pretended they served, when they never did.

The name comes from "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" New York Times 1939.

Several of my best friends are servicemen in the Royal Marines. They once outed a Walter in Rawtenstall on an evening out. No violence, but extremely funny.

Never mock those who have served. Pretending you have is mocking those who have done what you have not.

[mybloodisclaret]

I think we should cut him some slack, going off recent miscarriages of justice it's surely a perquisite for some coppers to be serial liers , cover up specialists with a selective memory and an ability to embellish.
He should have gone right to the top.

Always liked you as a poster bfcjg, our views and opinions always seem pretty much similar.

Don't doubt the cops, we know there are bad amongst the blue line, but I know lots of cops who's honesty, integrity, dedication and professionialism is far beyond reproach. Many I have known for 2 decades +.
Some of the best of British. We'd be goosed without them.

[mybloodisclaret]

See this is what I mean, lower than the low seems way OTT to me. Violent criminals are lower than the low, not someone telling a fib about having been in the military.

Poor comment Riley. Let's remember the bravery of those who actually signed on the dotted line, donned a uniform, did their training and then got sent all over the world to serve our country. Being away for months at a time, doing what many probably couldn't.

[box_of_frogs]

WTF are you on about?

Plenty of explanations above, the best from mybloodisclaret at 2313.

[evensteadiereddie]

A bullshitter who did military service ...who'd have thought it?

[Elizabeth]

No justification for this type of lie

[bfcjg]

Always liked you as a poster bfcjg, our views and opinions always seem pretty much similar.

Don't doubt the cops, we know there are bad amongst the blue line, but I know lots of cops who's honesty, integrity, dedication and professionialism is far beyond reproach. Many I have known for 2 decades +.
Some of the best of British. We'd be goosed without them.

Totally agree, I've friends who are retired officers solid honest guys,that's why I said some. A recent incident relating to what a family friend suffered at the hands of a couple of officers really brought me up sharp and made me realise they sadly all aren't like my friends.

[HahaYeah]

I think there's a difference between a Walter Mitty and a liar.

Walts are not quite all there, whereas a liar is just that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy-7eQgvaMc

[HahaYeah]

I think confidence in the police in this country has never been lower and this news won't help with that at all.