Nick Adderley misconduct hearing finding - Masters degree
Dear Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner,
I write with regards to the misconduct hearing of Nick Adderley concluded on 21st June 2024 with his dismissal for a catalogue of lies told throughout his career.
Due to the nature of his lying and continuing to lie, certain facts cause concern. At point 4.20 and 5.17 of the judgement, reference is to his Masters degree from Cambridge University, with comments that he DID earn this.
In an interview with Northampton Live in 2021, Nick Adderley talks about his attendance at University with other students, an impossibility given his career history showing no gaps to attend to complete an undergraduate degree.
With this contradiction in mind I wish to know what checks were made to verify this Masters degree, with the specific questions requiring answers:
1) Please confirm what dates the appropriate authority approached Cambridge University to verify the Masters degree and how it was obtained, the dates of study and dates of the thesis submitted.
2) Please confirm the dates when it is alleged that Nick Adderley attended Cambridge University to complete a Masters degree and if this was during his employment as a Police Officer and that this has been verified by Cambridge university.
3) Please confirm if this was completed during his tenure as a Police Officer if funding was provided from the requisite Police force to pay for this degree and if so, please confirm the amount paid.
4) Please confirm the subject studied and the title of the thesis and that this has been verified by Cambridge university.
Currently as it stands Nick Adderley has present no graduation photos and uses no letters after his name as one would expect from the holder of a Masters degree. There is no possible way in which an undergraduate degree could have been obtained, making an application to complete a Masters degree based on merit and experience, something that has proven to be utterly false making the application and any potential degree earned (if proven as accurate) to be fraudulent giving rise to a separate charge of fraud by false representation.
This further charge of fraud appears to be being deliberately evaded to aid Nick Adderley and raises questions about the overall investigation and weak evidence file presented to the CPS.
Yours faithfully,
Simon Tilley
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Danielle Stone
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FOI 08072024-1
Dear Simon Tilley
Thank you for your Freedom of Information request.
Your request is being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 and will be answered within twenty working days.
If you have any queries about this request do not hesitate to contact us.
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.
Kind regards
Customer Service Team
( Telephone 101 or 03000 111 222 (if out of county)
( Customer Service 01604 888881
+ Address Darby House, Darby Close, Park Farm Industrial Estate,
Wellingborough, NN8 6GS
: Email [1][email address]
+ Web [2]www.northantspfcc.org.uk
+ Twitter @northantsopfcc
Dear Mr Tilley
Further to your email dated 8^th July 2024 in which you requested the
following information:
1) Please confirm what dates the appropriate authority approached
Cambridge University to verify the Masters degree and how it was obtained,
the dates of study and dates of the thesis submitted.
2) Please confirm the dates when it is alleged that Nick Adderley
attended Cambridge University to complete a Masters degree and if this was
during his employment as a Police Officer and that this has been verified
by Cambridge university.
3) Please confirm if this was completed during his tenure as a Police
Officer if funding was provided from the requisite Police force to pay for
this degree and if so, please confirm the amount paid.
4) Please confirm the subject studied and the title of the thesis and
that this has been verified by Cambridge university.
Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) places two duties
on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at Section
1(1)(a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a
request is held.
The second duty at Section 1(1)(b) is to disclose information that has
been confirmed as being held. Where exemptions are relied upon, Section 17
of Freedom of Information Act requires that we provide the applicant with
a notice which:
a) States that fact
b) Specifies the exemption(s) in question and
c) State (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption
applies
I can confirm that the Office of the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and
Crime Commissioner does hold some of the information that you have
requested. However, in relation to questions 2 and 4, we are withholding
some of the information since we consider that the following exemptions
apply to it:
Section 40(2) – Personal data
Consideration on applying this exemption is subject to whether the
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transparently. It is my view that the request runs counter to the three
requirements prescribed by law and that there is no lawful basis to
provide this information.
This is an absolute exemption, and no public interest test is required.
1) Please confirm what dates the appropriate authority approached
Cambridge University to verify the Masters degree and how it was obtained,
the dates of study and dates of the thesis submitted.
The Office of the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner
does not hold any records relating to contact with Cambridge University in
relation to Nick Adderley’s appointment. Holding a degree was not listed
as a part of the essential criteria as set out in the application form. A
copy of which is attached to this email.
2) Please confirm the dates when it is alleged that Nick Adderley
attended Cambridge University to complete a Masters degree and if this was
during his employment as a Police Officer and that this has been verified
by Cambridge university.
Please confirm the dates when it is alleged that Nick Adderley attended
Cambridge University to complete a Masters degree- The OPFCC are
withholding this information as we believe it constitutes personal data
under Section 40(2) of the Data Protection Act.
Was it during his employment as a Police Officer and that this has been
verified by Cambridge university - No information held, Mr Adderley joined
Northamptonshire Police in 2018
3) Please confirm if this was completed during his tenure as a Police
Officer if funding was provided from the requisite Police force to pay for
this degree and if so, please confirm the amount paid.
No information held, Mr Adderley joined Northamptonshire Police in 2018
4) Please confirm the subject studied and the title of the thesis and
that this has been verified by Cambridge university.
Please confirm the subject studied - The OPFCC are withholding this
information as we believe it constitutes personal data under Section 40(2)
of the Data Protection Act
The title of the thesis and that this has been verified by Cambridge
university – No information held.
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of the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Darby
House, Darby Close, Park Farm Industrial Estate, Wellingborough. NN8 6GS /
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Stuart F. McCartney
Governance and Accountability Manager
( Telephone 101 or 03000 111 222 (if out of county) Ext 346665
+ Address Darby House, Darby Close, Park Farm Industrial Estate,
Wellingborough. NN8 6GS
: Email [2][email address]
+ Web [3]www.northantspcc.org.uk
+ Twitter @northantsopfcc
From: CustomerService
Sent: Monday, July 8, 2024 9:45 AM
To: Simon Tilley <[4][FOI #1144760 email]>
Subject: RE: Freedom of Information request - Nick Adderley misconduct
hearing finding - Masters degree - FOI 08072024-1
FOI 08072024-1
Dear Simon Tilley
Thank you for your Freedom of Information request.
Your request is being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 and will be answered within twenty working days.
If you have any queries about this request do not hesitate to contact us.
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.
Kind regards
Customer Service Team
( Telephone 101 or 03000 111 222 (if out of county)
( Customer Service 01604 888881
+ Address Darby House, Darby Close, Park Farm Industrial Estate,
Wellingborough, NN8 6GS
: Email [5][email address]
+ Web [6]www.northantspfcc.org.uk
+ Twitter @northantsopfcc
Dear McCartney Stuart,
Thank you for your email.
There are some elements still missing however in relation to one of the questions.
1) Please confirm what dates the appropriate authority approached
Cambridge University to verify the Masters degree and how it was obtained,
the dates of study and dates of the thesis submitted.
This question did not limit itself to the nature of Nick Adderley's appointment, but you appear to have limited your answer to that with your response below.
The Office of the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner
does not hold any records relating to contact with Cambridge University in
relation to Nick Adderley’s appointment. Holding a degree was not listed
as a part of the essential criteria as set out in the application form. A
copy of which is attached to this email.
Please can you confirm that the lack of any records means that the Office of the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has NEVER contacted Cambridge University in relation to Nick Adderley at any time, or just that no contact was made in relation to his application and appointment in 2018?
If the latter then the question has not been answered fully and correctly and I still request that information to be provided.
You also make reference to attachments within the email, the only attachments were jpegs within your email signature. Please confirm when the documents have been correctly uploaded to WDTK.
Yours sincerely,
Simon Tilley
Dear Mr Tilley,
Further to your email dated 31st July 2024, I can confirm the OPFCC have
not contacted Cambridge University in relation to Nick Adderley.
As I explained in my response, holding a degree was not listed as a part
of the essential criteria as set out in the application form and therefore
it was not considered an appropriate enquiry to make at that time.
However, the need to make such enquiries is now being included in a review
of vetting procedures which has been initiated by the PFCC and Chief
Constable.
I apologise for not attaching the document, a copy of which can be found
attached to this email.
Kind regards
Stuart
Stuart F. McCartney
Governance and Accountability Manager
+ Address Darby House, Darby Close, Park Farm Industrial Estate,
Wellingborough. NN8 6GS
: Email [1][email address]
+ Web [2]www.northantspcc.org.uk
+ Twitter @northantsopfcc
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