Solicitor Found Guilty of Impersonating Police Officer to Obtain CCTV Footage

A solicitor has been convicted of impersonating a police officer in an attempt to acquire CCTV footage of his former partner while she was dining at a Nando’s restaurant.

Conor Johnstone, a director at MAJ Law and a specialist in motoring law, posed as 'PC Matt Gregory' from Cheshire Constabulary during the incident that took place in July of the previous year.

According to court proceedings, Johnstone contacted the Nando’s location in Warrington, claiming there had been an incident involving two customers the day before and that he required the CCTV footage for investigation purposes.

The restaurant employee, Gaby Ball, was busy at the time of the call and requested that Johnstone follow up via email. He subsequently sent an email later that evening from an address impersonating a police email, requesting the footage.

Ball testified that the interaction felt authentic, stating that it was believable that Johnstone was indeed a police officer. The email he sent included the Cheshire Constabulary crest, a fabricated badge number, and a fictitious job title.

After the email bounced back, staff at Nando’s became suspicious and contacted the police. They discovered that 'PC Gregory' was not a real officer. Following this revelation, Johnstone attempted to make further contact with the restaurant, during which he was recorded again requesting the CCTV footage.

Real police officers traced the fraudulent request back to Johnstone, who denied any wrongdoing when presented with the evidence. Throughout the trial, Johnstone maintained that he did not intend to spy on his ex girlfriend, asserting that she was responsible for the situation.

The magistrates, however, found him guilty of impersonating a police officer. He is scheduled to be sentenced next month. Reports indicate that Johnstone may pursue an appeal against the ruling.