Fake Cop Fools Family With eBay Uniform

A fake cop who bought a police uniform on eBay tricked family and friends – including his wife – into believing he was a specialist firearms officer who protected the Queen has been jailed for 20 months.

Stuart Howatson, 31, of Millside Court, Bewdley, Worcestershire, lived a fantasy life for several years, claiming he was also employed by London’s Metropolitan Police as a dog handler or was a senior officer on sabbatical.

He convinced friends and family at his 2006 wedding former Met Commissioner Sir John Stevens would be guest-of-honour, even setting a place for the top cop, then explained in his groom’s speech security issues scuppered the invitation.

After honeymooning at a friend’s Spanish villa Howatson offered to buy the property for £720,000 cash, claiming a recent inheritance eliminated the need for a mortgage.

He prevaricated for nearly two years, stalling the supposed purchase with a series of bounced cheques and excuses.

He even created false bank statements showing monthly deposits from ‘Met Police’ and ‘MPA’, in attempts to prove his finances were sound, while taking several free breaks at the £1200-a-week property.

In 2007 he gave an educational talk, in uniform, at a nursery school where a family friend worked, talking about police work to the children and showing them examples of police batons.

Howatson was arrested at his home in October 2008 after intelligence about his activities was passed to the Met’s Anti-Corruption Command.

Officers examined a number of Howatson’s computers and discovered a number of indecent images of children, for which he was further arrested.

He pleaded guilty over several hearings at Worcester Crown Court to: possession of articles of police uniform; possession of an offensive weapon; false accounting; fraud by false representation and possession of and making indecent images of children.

In sentencing, the judge described him as “a common trickster and a conman”.

Detective Inspector Claire Moxon, of the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards, said: “Howatson went to great lengths to maintain a long-running deceit, taking advantage of the trust placed in him by the people around him.

“His behaviour has not only deeply affected his family and friends, but risked undermining the integrity and professionalism of genuine police officers everywhere.”