Suspended chief constable's misconduct case sensationally adjourned
Nick Adderley's lawyers are trying to get the chair of the panel to go.
“It’s a well-known tactic in the legal profession to repetitively attack members of the tribunal. It’s intended often either to derail proceedings so the accused person can put off the evil day or, more perniciously, to undermine or cow members.
“There’s no basis therefore for you or your two colleagues to recuse yourselves.”
John Beggs, KC - representing the office of the Northamptonshire police, fire and crime commissioner
By Nadia Lincoln, local democracy reporter
The panel that will decide the fate of suspended chief constable Nick Adderley has sensationally adjourned today, after the senior cop’s legal team argued the chair has already drawn a conclusion about his honesty.
Chair Callum Cowx has said he will ‘very carefully consider’ the argument by chief constable’s lawyer.
But the KC employed by the office of the Northants police, fire and crime commissioner has accused Adderley’s team of ‘using a well-known tactic’ to attack the panel.
Today was the fourth day of a hearing that was tabled to last for three days. However throughout there have been adjournments and delays as Adderley’s team have sought to have evidence ruled out.
The senior police officer, who has been in charge of Northants police since 2018, is accused of exaggerating his CV and making false claims about his naval career. The hearing has established that Adderley only served for two years in the navy and left on the lowest rank. For years he has claimed to have made officer level and there have been articles and books published that said he served in the Falklands War, which would have been impossible due to his age at the time of the conflict. The Falklands War medal he has been wearing for years, is also almost certainly a fake, the panel heard earlier this week.
If he is found guilty he will likely lose his job.
The police chief has denied misconduct and acting without integrity and honesty, but admitted that he breached standards in terms of duties and responsibilities. Throughout the four-day hearing, he has refused to take the stand to give evidence, on the advice of his legal team. After this hearing he may face criminal charges, as a file is with the Crown Prosecution Service after an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Today Adderley’s defence counsel claimed the legally qualified chairman Callum Cowx had already formed a “concluded view” on the top cop’s honesty and integrity. If their recusal application is accepted, the whole panel including His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke and independent member James Maund will be dismissed.
Adderley’s lawyer Matthew Holdcroft, said the chief constable was concerned “from the outset” at Mr Cowx’s appointment as chair due to his past career in the navy, army and police. He suggested that legally qualified char Callum Cowx had already formed a “concluded view on Adderley’s honesty and integrity”.
Mr Cowx pointed out concerns he had with the explanations given as to why these ‘exaggerations’ appeared on Adderley’s CV and application to become Northamptonshire’s chief constable.
He queried why the police chief had allegedly lumped together his two-year naval service with his time in the sea cadets to total the 10-year service record he had written. Adderley’s explanation was that he joined sea cadets at the age of 10 before going straight into the Royal Navy at 18, however Mr Cowx said his understanding was that the minimum recruitment age of cadets was 12.
Adderley’s CV also contained a reference to him attending the world-famous naval college Dartmouth, however he was never accepted. In an interview, the chief constable admitted that he was rejected from the college but included it in his CV to show his determination and ambition to apply to such an establishment.
Mr Cowx pointed out that Adderley would not have even met the basic requirements to join Dartmouth as he didn’t appear to have an English Language O-Level or any A levels, which were needed.
Mr Holdcroft addressed Mr Cowx:
“Over the last two days, you have properly raised with Mr Beggs and myself the extent to which your personal experience might be a matter that you as a panel take into account.
“The reality is that if you have decided that chief constable Adderley is lying to you about these issues then that’s the first domino to fall.
“It isn’t a steep hill that I would have to climb to persuade you it’s an entire bare rock face. The appearance that you have formed that view means that I’m afraid you must recuse yourself and therefore also recuse the panel.”
John Beggs KC, leading the counsel setting out the allegations, said he disagreed with the recusal application. He suggested it was the second or third attempt to “get rid of” the current chair, Mr Cowx.
He continued:
“This is a case which, if proven, will inevitably end Mr Adderley’s career. It’s inconceivable that if any police officer, let alone the chief constable, is found to have lied repeatedly, and has done so in a bid to create a more grand narrative as to his naval service, that any sanction other than dismissal without notice is available.
“The intense efforts to remove [Mr Cowx] are in fact because of fear [he] will bring very helpful expertise to the table. There’s an attempt to avoid this panel ever getting to a final conclusion.
“It’s a well-known tactic in the legal profession to repetitively attack members of the tribunal. It’s intended often either to derail proceedings so the accused person can put off the evil day or, more perniciously, to undermine or cow members.
“There’s no basis therefore for you or your two colleagues to recuse yourselves.”
Mr Cowx said he would consider the defence’s application “very carefully” and that he would have no issue in removing himself if it was seen fit.
The panel has now adjourned the hearing. The counsels will reconvene on June 20 to continue the proceedings.
Why did the Police Commissioner not check that the CV was accurate before making the appointment?
The comment he made about "members of the public" (note the plural there) approached Adderley's team to complain about Mr Cowx is offensive. I was there the whole 4 days and can confirm only 6 other people that were not press or OPFCC staff, were there for the entirety of proceedings.
Sam Dobbs & Charlotte Pateman who are associated with the Police Federation, a retired male officer and a retired female officer, Adderley's wife and finally a husband who is a veteran and his wife with complaints against the Police they claim are being ignored.
As the husband and wife and myself did not complain, the only complaints that could have been made come from former Police officers or those who only attended for a single day, not having full view of the entire proceedings.
When he failed to discredit the medal claiming it had been swapped out he then targeted the only witness who was there to say Adderley told him personally about the Falklands. When targeting the witness failed he targeted the procedure and documents trying to discredit them, when that backfired and Adderley trying to get the father of the murdered officer was agreed to, so he could put him on the stand and call him a liar, he then attacked the only person left in the room he had not blamed as being part of this conspiracy, the chair.
I suggest that Captain Pugwash perhaps needs to hold up a mirror to find the only person responsible for his predicament and stop throwing away taxpayers money on further days to fund Mr Beggs KC, the chair and the venue that all needed to be funded for his grandstanding and dragging this out.
New found respect for Nadia who covered this trying to take all the notes needed to keep pace with this.
I can only hope the incoming government and home sec look at this omnishambles and spare the poor folk of Northants the shame of this carrying on much longer.