Police officer Darrin Hooper fined over false claim to three military medals
A NSW Police officer’s fake claims to having earned three military medals came undone after escorting the then Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove on a state funeral.
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A serving police officer caught illegally wearing war medals he was not entitled to was caught out after protecting the most senior Commonwealth official in the country — former Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove.
Agreed facts tendered to the Downing Centre Local Court reveal Senior Constable Darrin Hooper was caught in a series of fibs after being filmed by a Channel 7 camera crew for the hit show Motorcycle Cops.
The 45-year-old Highway Patrol officer was fined $1000 today after pleading guilty to one charge of wearing service medals when not entitled, with a second charge withdrawn.
“On February 21, 2018 … (Hooper) was tasked with escorting Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove to the state funeral of Sir Nicholas Shehadie,” the facts state.
“(Another officer) stated that during the mission the Governor General pointed to (Hooper’s) medals and said words to the effect of ‘you have served time in the military, well done’ and he replied ‘thank you sir’.”
A year earlier, while filming for Channel 7’s Motorbike Cops, Hooper was caught on camera at a NSW Police Academy parade wearing the Australia Service Medal with a Timor-Leste clasp, the Timor-Leste Solidarity Medal and the Infantry Combat Badge.
All three are reserved for military personnel who took part in warlike operations.
During a record of interview Hooper told officers he had served in the Australian army for six weeks but was medically discharged for shin splints.
Court documents also reveal that three other police officers who worked with Hooper believed he had served in the military after he would tell “war stories” about his service in Timor-Leste.
Hooper told one colleague he obtained the medals from “an old fella” who told him that “his unit” were entitled to wear them.
“It is important the community be aware that only those awarded these medals wear them and there must be some deterrence,” Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson said.
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