Conor Johnstone has been found guilty in the Conor Johnstone police impersonation case after a trial over his attempt to obtain CCTV from a Cheshire Nando's. The 34-year-old solicitor is now due to be sentenced next month at Leeds Magistrates Court after an adjournment for a pre-sentence report.
London Road contact
Johnstone contacted the Nando's on London Road, Stockton Heath, from a fake email for Cheshire Police. On Tuesday, July 22, last year, he told the restaurant staff, "I was with the domestic violence unit for the force" and said "there was an investigation into an incident involving threats by a man towards a woman."
He continued that account for four days, even as staff became increasingly suspicious. The prosecution case was that the false police identity was used to press for CCTV from the restaurant, and the jury accepted that account by returning guilty verdicts after the trial.
Leeds Magistrates Court
The conviction leaves Johnstone facing sentencing at Leeds Magistrates Court next month, with the court waiting for the pre-sentence report before deciding what comes next. The case has already established that the impersonation was not a one-off contact but a sustained effort over several days.
Johnstone denied any wrongdoing. Companies House lists him as a director of MAJ Law Ltd and a co-director of PCD Solicitors Ltd, while the Solicitors Regulation Authority said it would not confirm or deny whether it is investigating individuals including Johnstone.
