A former private school teacher who impersonated a senior Royal Navy officer at remembrance parades has been fined, after his elaborate deception was unpicked by suspicious veterans who spotted flaws in his uniform and medals.
The Unravelling of a Naval Charade
Jonathan Carley, 65, from Harlech, Gwynedd, was fined £500 at court on Monday after admitting to wearing a uniform bearing the mark of His Majesty's Forces without permission. The case against him began to build in November 2024 at a Remembrance Day parade in Llandudno, where he was seen laying wreaths and saluting in a pristine uniform that suggested he held the third-highest rank in the Royal Navy.
His act, which he claimed was driven by a desire for "belonging and affirmation", started to attract scrutiny from experienced military eyes. Former Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry became suspicious, particularly noting the ceremonial sword Carley brandished and the rare Distinguished Service Order (DSO) medal displayed on his chest.
A Medal That Stood Out
"It's one down from the Victoria Cross," Parry explained to the BBC, highlighting the prestige of the DSO. "You're eight ranks up and two down from the head of the navy." The medal is an exceptional award for highly successful command in active operations, with very few awarded since 1979. For those with knowledge, it was an immediate red flag.
Photographer Tony Mottram, who had served in the Territorial Army and worked for the RAF, also found Carley's appearance odd. At the 2025 Remembrance Sunday service, where Carley had left the sword at home, Mottram noticed the uniform itself was wrong. "The hemming wasn't right, the length wasn't right," he said. "You either go on parade right or you don't go at all."
The Investigation and Admission
After these suspicions were reported, uniformed officers visited Carley's home. There, they discovered the fake uniform, the array of medals—which he had bought online—and the ceremonial sword. He was charged under a law from the 1800s that prohibits wearing a military uniform without permission, becoming only the eighth person in a decade to be taken to court for this offence in the UK.
Carley, a former history teacher and later a rowing coach at Oxford University's Christ Church College, was described as a "loner" who walked alone at parades, avoiding conversation and photographs. A former student expressed shock, saying they "would never have believed" he would do such a thing.
In his police interview, Carley revealed his motivation, stating he sought a sense of belonging. The court's £500 fine marks the end of his years-long impersonation, exposed by the very symbols of honour he falsely sought to wear.
