Police chief accused of lying about his Falklands war service

A police chief constable has been dismissed and placed on the police barred list for wearing a Falklands war medal despite being 15 at the time of the conflict. The panel found him guilty of gross misconduct, including lying on his CV and application form about his military service. He falsely claimed to have served in the Royal Navy for 10 years, attended Britannia Royal Naval College, and been a military negotiator in Haiti. The medal was awarded for service in the Falklands conflict, but he did not embark for the Falklands until after hostilities ended. The misconduct hearing revealed that he had also made false claims about his brother's involvement in the conflict. The chief constable's brother was not entitled to wear the South Atlantic Medal with a rosette, and only applied for it in 2015. The panel heard that the chief constable engaged in a "pack of lies" regarding the medal and his military service. Despite the accusations, the chief constable did not attend the hearing. His defense team argued that he was proud of his brother's military service and believed the medals he wore were gifts from him. The hearing was adjourned after the defense accused the panel of bias.