Conman claimed he was military "Captain" with 11 years experience but was only in Army for 40 days

A MAN who claimed he had been a British Army Captain for 11 years, a reservist for nine years and had been on campaigns “throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa” admitted to a court he served for just 40 days.
Christopher Griffin, of Beaumont Street, Plymouth pleaded guilty at Plymouth Magistrates Court to two counts of fraud by false representation.
Prosecutor Catherine Fox said that Plymouth City Council’s Trading Standards had received a complaint about the firm Plymouth Close Protection and its website www.plymouthcp.co.uk.
Griffin, aged 42, was found to run the firm which offered “Executive Close Protection and Bodyguard services”

The court heard how the biography section stated how Griffin was “a former Captain in the British Military having served in the Royal Signals 263 sqd for 11 years and a further 9 years in British Army Reserves”.
The site went on to claim that “Christopher has worked on Military Campaigns throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa”.
Ms Fox said these claims were investigated and found to be untrue, and Griffin had made the false claims with the intent of making a financial gain by attracting work.
She told magistrates the Royal Military Police (RMP) informed Trading Standards officers that according to their records Griffin had been a private in the Royal Signals, joining on October 10, 1991. He was discharged on November 8, 1991, having served just 40 days.
Griffin was asked to attend interview on January 10, 2014 where he claimed the military records were incorrect. He refused to hand over copies of documents which he said supported his record and while he showed “campaign medals” officers noted that none were engraved with his name.
Hampshire council’s trading standards officers were employed to double check the RMP records. They found Griffin had been a signaller for 40 days, had no medals and served in no campaigns.
It was found there was a “defect” in the enlistment process, in that Griffin claimed he only had six penalty points on his driving licence – the maximum allowed for the post. However, it was later found that he had nine penalty points. He then chose to leave rather than have another post allotted to him.
Ms Fox said Griffin had been “dishonest” in his online advert and described his actions as “a confidence fraud” which “deliberately targeted a large number of vulnerable victims”.
Griffin, in mitigation, claimed he had added the information to his website to “wind up” and “annoy” Alex Bomberg, who he said was the owner of security firm Intelligent Protection International Limited.
Griffin said prosecutors had left this information out of their interview notes with him.
He claimed there was a glut of ex-servicemen who were moving into Close Protection (CP) work and that “nobody books CP through a website”.
He told magistrates he was a “site manager in the construction industry” and that he was not trying to make a financial gain.
He added: “In three years I’ve done six close protection jobs... because the industry is flooded with armed forces personnel. 99.9 percent of my work is within the construction industry. The website was done deliberately to wind one person up. He made a complaint and it’s done.”
Following an adjournment to allow Griffin to speak to a duty solicitor, he returned to court and stated he would plead guilty on the basis the prosecution put forward.
The chair of the bench adjourned sentencing until October 3 for a pre-sentence report, informing Griffin that “all sentencing options are open”.