A former schoolteacher who spent years impersonating a senior Royal Navy officer at Remembrance Sunday events has been convicted and fined, with a leading psychologist challenging his claimed motivation.
The 'Fake Admiral' and His Day in Court
Jonathan Carley, a 65-year-old from Harlech in Gwynedd, pleaded guilty at Llandudno Magistrates' Court on Monday 5th January 2026. The court heard how Carley, nicknamed the 'Fake Admiral', had been attending ceremonies in North Wales since at least 2018, dressed in the uniform of a Rear Admiral – the third-highest rank in the Navy – and wearing a rare Distinguished Service Order medal he had not earned.
He was found guilty of wearing a uniform bearing the mark of His Majesty's Forces without permission. Magistrates fined him £500, ordered him to pay £85 in costs and a £200 victim surcharge.
A Psychologist's Verdict on the Excuses
During police interviews, Carley claimed his actions were driven by a desire for "a sense of belonging and affirmation". However, consultant psychologist Honey Langcaster-James, a former 'Love Island' psychologist, argues this explanation is psychologically unconvincing.
"Belonging is a fundamental human need," Langcaster-James notes, "but impersonating a figure with such an extreme level of status is hardly a credible route to genuine connection." She suggests that choosing a role so senior and symbolically powerful points instead to a craving for unearned prestige, automatic authority, and respect.
"Military uniforms, especially highly decorated ones, carry enormous non-verbal power. They command deference without explanation," she writes. For someone seeking admiration without vulnerability, wearing medals not rightfully earned acts as a shortcut, which she describes as closer to "social theft" than a search for community.
Offence, Identity, and the Lessons Learned
The psychologist highlights how such deception is deeply offensive to serving personnel and veterans, breaching trust and disrespecting genuine sacrifice. She also probes Carley's potential motivations, noting his past as a teacher and rowing coach in elite schools – roles that confer external status.
"Losing such roles can create a profound identity vacuum," she observes, suggesting this may have played a part. Furthermore, she questions why Carley thought he wouldn't be caught in the tight-knit military community, suggesting imposters often overestimate the power of a costume and underestimate scrutiny.
Ultimately, while one might feel empathy for the human fragility involved, Langcaster-James maintains clear moral condemnation for the harm caused. The case serves as a stark warning: true belonging requires bringing your authentic self, and if something seems amiss, it is right to ask questions – "uniform or not".
