JORDAN SCOTT IMITATES POLICE OFFICER TO GET HOTEL JOB IN RUNCORN AND WARRINGTON
In December 2018, a man named Jordan Leigh Scott-Michael, aged 42, was sentenced to four months in prison at North Cheshire Magistrates’ Court after admitting to impersonating a police officer.The incident took place at the Daresbury Park Hotel, a well-known establishment situated between Runcorn and Warrington, where Scott-Michael had secured a position as a hotel receptionist under false pretenses.
Prosecutor Rob Youds outlined the details of the case, revealing that Scott-Michael had deceived the hotel’s management, including the then-manager Martin Barrie, by claiming to be a special constable.
He falsely asserted that the hotel would have an on-site police officer available to make arrests, thereby convincing the management to hire him.
This deception was part of a broader pattern of misconduct, as Scott-Michael had previously been convicted of similar offenses.
Concerns among actual police officers arose during two specific incidents at the hotel, which raised suspicions about Scott-Michael’s claims.
Abby Connor, who was supervising him at the time, reported that he carried a warrant card and had told her he volunteered as a special constable in Manchester for four hours each week.
On May 6, a guest reported a domestic disturbance involving two other guests fighting.
Scott-Michael allegedly told Connor that he needed to leave immediately to arrest the individual involved, claiming, “I’m going to have to go, I’m going to have to arrest this man, I have to do my job.” Subsequently, a genuine police officer was called to the scene, and a staff member informed him that a colleague was a policeman who had gone to the room of the fighting guests.
Scott-Michael introduced himself to the officer as a ‘special constable’.
Further suspicions were raised on May 28 when a guest, described as ‘paranoid,’ refused to leave the hotel and was abusive towards staff, claiming they were ‘undercover police officers’.
Scott-Michael, who reportedly kept a police warrant card holder in his pocket, antagonized the guest and was eventually moved away from the scene.
A real police officer attended the incident and confirmed that two women accompanying him stated Scott-Michael was not lying, as a staff member had claimed to be a special constable.
Scott-Michael had been employed at the hotel from April to June of that year.
During police interviews, he admitted to some aspects of the allegations but denied telling staff he was a special constable or carrying a warrant card holder.
Despite his denials, he pleaded guilty to impersonating a police officer on November 8.
It was also revealed that Scott-Michael has a lengthy criminal history, with 18 convictions for a total of 82 offenses.
His past convictions include impersonating a police officer in 2007, and in 2012, he was convicted of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl in Manchester after falsely claiming to be a policeman.
His record also includes charges of fraud and possession of indecent images, for which he was still on license at the time of the incident at Daresbury.
Defending him, Helen Dugdale highlighted Scott-Michael’s previous compliance with court orders and argued that his guilty plea should be taken into account.
She also pointed out that he would face solitary confinement in prison, which was a factor in his favor.
District Judge Bridget Knight, presiding over the case, sentenced Scott-Michael to four months in prison, a reduction of two months from the maximum penalty available for his guilty plea.
She expressed grave concern over his repeated offenses, emphasizing that his actions undermined public confidence in law enforcement.
The judge noted that his deception was particularly damaging because it could cause the public to doubt the authenticity of genuine police officers, which poses a serious threat to community safety.
Due to a court order, Scott-Michael’s address cannot be disclosed.
The hotel’s management, Britannia Hotels, was contacted for comment but had not provided a statement at the time of reporting.
