A man in the United Kingdom has been fined £500 after admitting to dressing as a navy admiral without permission at a Remembrance Sunday event.
Jonathan Carley, 65, faced charges for wearing a uniform or dress bearing the mark of His Majesty’s Forces without authorization.
He was arrested at his home in north Wales after images emerged of him wearing the uniform of one of the Royal Navy’s most senior ranks, complete with a collection of medals, including a Distinguished Service Order, at a Remembrance Sunday parade in Llandudno.
Appearing at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court on Monday, Carley was fined £500 and ordered to pay £85 in costs and a £200 surcharge.
At the event in November, he was seen sporting the epaulettes and sleeve lace of a Rear Admiral, a two-star rank and one of the highest positions in the Royal Navy.
Carley, who lives in Harlech, Gwynedd, was observed marching in formation to the war memorial, saluting before a wreath was laid by another individual, and then marching away.
His appearance prompted concerns from serving and former service personnel.
Llandudno Town Council, the organisers of the Remembrance event, confirmed that no-one of that senior rank had been scheduled to attend the ceremony.
Carley faced a single charge: being a person not serving in HM military forces, wearing without His Majesty’s permission a uniform and dress bearing the regimental or other distinctive mark of the military force, specifically The Royal Navy.
The court was informed that the offence falls under the Uniforms Act, legislation dating back to 1894.
