For former history teacher Jonathan Carley, it must have felt like the walls were closing in on a moment when the police, looking for a bogus Royal Navy officer, came knocking on the door of his grand clifftop home.
Inside, officers found old military uniforms, medals and a ceremonial sword – a weapon that had previously raised suspicion.
Police were following up on reports that Carly, who attended Remembrance Sunday ceremonies in North Wales dressed as a rear admiral, was actually a hoaxer.
On Monday, he was fined £500 after admitting wearing a dress or uniform bearing Her Majesty’s Army insignia without permission.
Last year’s Llandudno Remembrance Service was not the first event where John Carley dressed as a high-ranking naval officer. [Tony Mottram]
The 65-year-old joined those who laid wreaths and saluted the war memorial at a ceremony in Llandudno last November.
Serving and ex-service personnel were suspicious of the alleged rear admiral – the third highest rank in the Royal Navy – when they saw his sword and rare Distinguished Service Order medal.
“It’s one down from the Victoria Cross,” Rear Admiral Dr Chris Perry told the BBC.
He said the DSO medal was an “easy spot” because it is an extraordinary award, and only a small percentage of those who join the Navy reach rear admiral.
“You are eight ranks up and two down from the head of the navy,” said Perry, who left the Royal Navy in 2008.
Suspicion arose after Carley (left) appeared at the 2024 Llandudno Remembrance Service with a sword hanging by his side [Tony Mottram]
Carle had been attending events wearing rear admiral’s epaulettes and sleeve laces for years, but few were waiting to catch him.
Unbeknownst to Carley, the former private school teacher’s infidelity begins to unravel at a chilling Remembrance Day parade in Llandudno in 2024 – a year before he will be out on the national news.
“She had a huge sword on her and that was really out there because we’ve never seen it before,” said photographer Tony Mottram, who was photographing the beach resort’s annual event in 2024 when he first spotted Carly.
He said Carly’s medallion, sword and the fact that she was on her own made people aware.
“He kept in the background, but was suspicious because of that,” said the 63-year-old, who was in the Territorial Army and served in the Royal Air Force.
“We all know each other by name. He stayed out of the picture. He was a bit of a loner, no one would talk to him.”
Tony Mottram often photographs the Remembrance Sunday parade in Llandudno [BBC]
Mottram tries his best to get photographic evidence of the mystery rear admiral in 2024 – but he’s gone before they can figure it out.
There was resentment among some ex-servicemen and an agreement that if the fake rear admiral were to try again, they would be prepared.
So when Carly, from Harlech in Gwynedd, reappears at the 2025 Remembrance Sunday service, albeit without his sword, Mr Mottram makes no mistake.
“I looked at her a lot this year … and picked up on the collar, the cut and length of the tunic,” he said.
“The hemming wasn’t right, the length wasn’t right. You either go on the right parade or you don’t.”
Carley wore an array of medals on his chest that he bought online, including the DSO – awarded for highly successful command and leadership during active operations – awarded to very few personnel since 1979.
What happened to Chief Petty Officer Terry Stewart in 2024 and the rear admiral attending the 2025 parade with him after 27 years in the Royal Navy was questionable.
“I asked the veterans around if that was the rear admiral like last year. They said yes,” said CPO Stewart, who removed himself from the parade so he could follow the admiral.
“I approached him, greeted him and introduced myself,” Stewart added.
“I informed him that the ex-Royal Navy veterans didn’t know about him and I asked his name. He said ‘he should go’ and he was invited by the Lord Lieutenant’s office.”
He said Carle returned the salute, gave his full name and was confident and “not worried at all”.
Chief Petty Officer Terry Stewart left the Llandudno Remembrance Service Parade to confront Carle [Terry Stewart]
Stewart was convinced he was faking it.
Carly was charged by police under a law from the 1800s that banned the wearing of military uniform without permission – and on Monday she became the eighth person in 10 years to be taken to court for that offense in Britain.
No similar law exists for the medals she wears — or those who make up stories without the dress.
BBC News asked Carly about her motivation – but she didn’t comment.
In his police interview, he said he wanted a sense of “belonging and affirmation”.
Photos and videos posted online show that Llandudno is not the first place Carley has dressed up as a rear admiral.
He has featured at other memorial services in North Wales since 2018, believed to have moved to the area.
In one video, he is seen addressing the public in his full admiral’s uniform, sword complete, at Roark’s Drift Memorial event.
Ironically, he was paying tribute to the military reenactors present.
Andy Gittens first met Carly a few months before his Roarke’s Drift speech, when he began attending rehearsals for his male voice recital.
Carly gave a speech at Roark’s War of the Draft Memorial event in 2019. [BBC]
“I think he said he was Navy. I can’t remember him saying the verse,” recalled Gittens, who said Carly hadn’t sung with them in a long time.
“I remember he was rarely there,” said the former Gwynedd fireman.
But when Gittens’ choir turned up for Rorke’s Drift memorial at Harlech Castle in 2019, they immediately recognized Carly.
“We got together in the morning with the band and singers to rehearse. He was nowhere to be seen.
“Suddenly he appears in this uniform. Normally those events are covered by the Lord Lieutenant, but he comes out larger than life.
“He was completely believable, dressed to the nines with his sword. Then he proceeded to take over.”
Gittens said that despite his initial surprise at seeing Carley in this new role, he had no reason to doubt it until he saw recent news coverage.
“He was very friendly, very nice and a trustworthy bloke,” he said.
Carley admitted dressing up as a fake Royal Navy rear admiral at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court on Monday. [PA Media]
In the past, Carley has given newspaper interviews about both studying and rowing at Oxford and Harvard – as well as teaching at some of the country’s most prestigious schools such as Eton, Cheltenham and Shiplake College.
Cheltenham College confirmed Carley taught history and politics there between 1988 and 1992.
This period also appears to have been his only real brush with the military, his name appearing in the London Gazette in 1991 as part of the college’s Combined Cadet Force.
After teaching, Carly is understood to have worked as a rowing coach for several years at Christ Church College, Oxford University.
One former student told us he was “absolutely shocked” to see his former coach on the news, while others spoke of a respected and “warm, fun, funny” coach.
Newspaper articles show Carley (right) as a rowing coach at private colleges [Henley Standard]
“His role was head coach of at least two men’s boats and co-ordinator of all things Christ Church Rowing,” said one former pupil.
“He was very good at motivating the crew. The speeches he gave were pre-scripted. I think the other rowers really respected him. People worked very hard for him.”
Carly’s former student said he would “never believe” she would do something like that.
Eton College and Oxford University did not respond to requests for comment.
