Access CCTV
A solicitor who impersonated a police officer in an attempt to obtain CCTV footage of his ex-partner from a Nando’s restaurant has been given a 12-month community order.
Legal Cheek reported last month that Conor Johnstone, a solicitor specialising in drink driving offences, was found guilty of impersonating a police officer following a trial at Leeds Magistrates Court.
The court heard that Johnstone had contacted a Nando’s restaurant in Warrington in late July 2025, identifying himself as “PC Matt Gregory” from Cheshire Police’s domestic violence unit. He told staff that there had been an incident involving two customers the previous day, and requested CCTV as part of a supposedly ongoing investigation.
Johnstone provided an email address, “matt.gregory@cheshirepolice.uk” and asked for the footage to be sent over to him as soon as possible. The email contained the Cheshire Constabulary Crest, a fake badge number and PC Gregory’s job title.
Emails sent to the address bounced, which prompted suspicious Nando’s staff to contact the police directly. They were informed that ‘PC Gregory’ did not exist.
Appearing at Leeds Magistrates Court again this week, Johnston was ordered to complete 260 hours of supervised unpaid work, and to pay £650 in court costs, as well as a £114 surcharge.
During the original trial, the court heard how police were able to trace the email back to the solicitor, who had entered his personal details when purchasing the domain. Johnstone, a director of law firm MAJ Law, had denied that he wanted to spy on his pregnant ex-partner and claimed that she was to blame.
Commenting on the case, detective constable Darroch, of the protecting vulnerable people unit of Cheshire Constabulary, said:
“You do not have to be a solicitor to know that impersonating a police officer is a very serious offence, so Connor Johnstone will have been well aware that his actions were illegal. Under the guise of this persona, and armed with a false email that would have looked legitimate to the uninitiated, Johnstone took advantage of two employees who were simply looking to assist with what they thought was an official police investigation.”
“Johnstone clearly counted his own chickens before they hatched, as his decision to play pretend police officer has ultimately resulted him in causing permanent damage to his own reputation,” detective constable Darroch added.
Johnstone had previously told Mail Online that he intended to appeal.
